Namibia has the potential to earn between US$50 million (N$930 million) and US$300 million (N$5.6 billion) in annual export revenue from carbon credits by the early 2030s if rangeland restoration and bush-control programmes are expanded across one to two million hectares.
According to Max Rix, Head of Investments at Simonis Storm said several early initiatives are already operational in Namibia, including biochar production facilities in Grootfontein and regenerative agriculture projects in Maltahöhe, which are generating carbon credits sold to international buyers.
He said these projects demonstrate that Namibian carbon is measurable, certifiable, and exportable.
“Namibia’s semi-arid landscapes, low population density, and history of environmental stewardship make it ideally suited for scalable carbon-removal projects. These early initiatives prove that carbon credits from Namibia can be both high-integrity and commercially viable,” Rix said.
This comes as the Namibian government finalises a national carbon registry and Article 6 framework to govern credit issuance and ensure transparent revenue distribution.
Rix said the frameworks are expected to strengthen governance and maintain the integrity of credit verification.
“With robust governance and continued verification integrity, Namibia has the potential to become one of Africa’s most credible suppliers of high-quality carbon removals. This represents an economy built not on resource extraction, but on ecological regeneration,” he added.
According to Simonis Storm, beyond export revenue, carbon projects also deliver domestic benefits such as soil rehabilitation, biodiversity recovery, and rural job creation, which enhance the sustainability and social impact of Namibia’s carbon initiatives.
“Expanding rangeland restoration and bush-control programmes could unlock not only new revenue streams but also meaningful environmental and social outcomes,” Rix said.
He added that Namibia has a rare opportunity to lead Africa in converting its natural capital into verifiable financial value.
The comments follow a visit by a High-Level Committee to the operational site of Retort Charcoal Producers near Rietfontein, as part of a tour of various biomass projects and facilities within the Otjozondjupa Region.
During the visit, Colin Lindeque, Managing Director of Carbon Capital, said the project had been operational for nearly four years. Initially developed by Carbon Capital, it is now operated by Retort Charcoal Producers, a broad-based, wholly Namibian-owned company.
“The initial investment of over N$80 million (US$4.2 million) has created more than 80 direct jobs and a further 250 within the project’s supply chain,” Lindeque said.
He explained that the project spends over 60% of its revenue within nearby towns and rural communities, employing mainly unskilled and semi-skilled Namibians, in line with the country’s skills profile.
The project also employs 30 women, which has significantly boosted the productivity of the packing teams.
Lindeque said the company provides on-the-job and certified training courses for its employees and suppliers.
The facility uses advanced retort systems to produce high-quality charcoal for export markets as well as biochar for improving local agricultural soils.
“We are expanding our markets and are already shipping our charcoal products to the European Union, New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Lebanon, and we are now exploring opportunities in Japan,” Lindeque said.
He added that the company plans to establish two additional sites of similar scale by 2027.
According to Lindeque, the project was registered under Puro.earth’s carbon removal methodology in May 2024, allowing it to issue and sell verified carbon removal credits. Since then, it has deployed over 7,000 tonnes of biochar into nearby agricultural soils, making it the largest project of its kind in Africa.
“Our goal is to develop around 250 hectares of irrigated agriculture, both for staple crops for local markets and high-value crops for export,” he said.
However, he noted that the agricultural expansion has been delayed pending the issuance of a water abstraction licence.
