Namibia exported fish worth N$1.4 billion in April 2025, making it the country’s third-largest export product for the month and a key driver of a N$548 million food trade surplus, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).
“Fish occupied the third position, accounting for 11.5% of total exports, destined mainly for the Spanish, Zambian and Italian markets,” the NSA stated.
The food trade surplus was primarily supported by the strong performance of fish exports, which made up 78.4% of the food export basket.
“This was followed by meat and edible meat offal, which contributed 13.6%. Overall, the top five food exports accounted for 98.1% of all food products exported during the month,” the NSA said.
On the import side, food imports in April were led by cereals, which accounted for 19.5% of total food imports. ‘Miscellaneous edible preparations’ and ‘Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products’ followed, each with a share of 8.6%.
The top five food imports collectively made up 53.1% of the total value of imported food.
“The month under review saw the country recording a trade surplus on food items to the value of N$548 million. The surplus was mainly driven by fish exports, which stood at N$1.4 billion,” the NSA reported.
Between April 2024 and April 2025, Namibia’s average monthly food trade surplus stood at N$220 million.
“The highest monthly surplus was recorded in December 2024 at N$669 million. Deficits in the food trade were only recorded in three months during the period: September, October and November 2024,” the NSA added.
On the beverage side, imports averaged N$320 million over the past year, with the highest monthly import value of N$489 million recorded in November 2024.
“Exports of beverages over the same period averaged N$118 million, with the highest value of N$189 million recorded in July 2024. The lowest export value of N$62 million was recorded in April 2025,” said the NSA.
In the broader trade context, Namibia exported goods worth N$11.0 billion in April 2025 while importing goods valued at N$12.9 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of N$1.9 billion.
“During April 2025, exports increased by 9.1% compared to March 2025 and by 16.1% compared to April 2024,” the NSA stated.
Imports showed a more modest rise, increasing by 1.0% from March 2025 and 2.3% compared to April 2024.
The NSA noted that uranium was Namibia’s top export commodity, making up 26.0% of total exports, followed by non-monetary gold at 15.4%. Fish, precious stones (diamonds), and base metal ores also featured among the top five exports.
