President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says government is overhauling Namibia’s investment law to simplify processes, enforce accountability and boost investor confidence.
Speaking at the 41st Annual Awards Gala Dinner of the Africa America Institute in New York on 21 September, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the review would replace fragmented legislation with a single framework covering all investors.
“In addition to our existing infrastructure, we have in place our laws, the investment law. Of course, it is currently under review so that we will be able to take care of the industry holistically, because before we were having the foreign investment law. But then we just need one investment law that is taking care of all the investors,” she said.
She said Namibia was shortening procedures for company registration, visas and work permits.
“How we are also making the investment easy is to shorten the processes for registering your company and all that is required for the investors. So in other words, we are really emphasising on efficient and effective service delivery in terms of processing the visas, processing work permits,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah stressed that investments must comply with Namibian laws and contribute to skills transfer.
“If there is a skill which is not available in Namibia, that is where then you will be required, you can bring in skills. However, in the process, such a skill needs to be transferred,” she said.
She said Namibia is open for investment across agriculture, mining, energy, tourism, fisheries, services and infrastructure, with new opportunities emerging in oil, renewable energy and green hydrogen.
“It’s really open for investment, as long as it is an investment that is based on partnership, and an investment that is respecting the laws of the Republic of Namibia,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah added that Namibia’s competitive transport and communication infrastructure, including Walvis Bay and Lüderitz harbours, underpins its position as a regional logistics hub.
“We have invested in the Walvis Bay Harbour as we are positioning ourselves to be the logistic hub, and particularly to serve the landlocked countries. So now we say that they are sea-linked, they are linked to the sea,” she said.
The President said her administration remains focused on economic transformation, youth empowerment and shared prosperity.
“Namibia is a country with natural resources, and I keep reminding Namibians that we are just too few to be poor. And if we are working together, if everybody is committed, definitely we will be able to make use of those resources, and then the rich will become richer, the poor will become able to sustain themselves,” she said.
