The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) will formally launch the Namibia-South Africa Business Council, creating a permanent private sector platform aimed at accelerating trade, investment and cross-border business partnerships.
The council was established following a decision by the two Heads of State during the 2023 Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC), where both governments agreed to create a structured mechanism to strengthen private sector cooperation.
According to the NCCI, the council is intended to transform the two countries’ strong political relationship into tangible commercial outcomes by facilitating joint ventures, addressing trade barriers and promoting investment opportunities.
NCCI Chief Executive Officer Titus Nampala said the launch marks the beginning of a new phase in bilateral economic cooperation.
“This Council is the private sector taking up the mandate that our two Presidents gave us. The Bi-National Commission created the political runway. Our task now is to make sure that runway leads somewhere real – to signed deals, cross-border partnerships and growth that Namibian and South African businesses can actually feel. We are building a Council that listens, leads and delivers and that is deliberately designed to open doors for our large corporates and our MSMEs alike,” Nampala said.
Namibia and South Africa maintain one of Southern Africa’s largest trading relationships, spanning sectors including mining, agriculture, manufacturing, financial services, logistics and tourism. However, both chambers said the full potential of the partnership has yet to be realised because of fragmented private sector engagement and limited coordination between businesses.
The Business Council will serve as a permanent platform through which companies, industry associations and trade bodies from both countries can identify investment opportunities, establish joint ventures and address challenges related to market access, non-tariff barriers, cross-border logistics and regional value chains.
SACCI President Advocate Mtho Xulu said the council represents an important step towards strengthening commercial relations between the two countries.
“For too long, the depth of goodwill between our two countries has outpaced the depth of our commercial engagement. This Council gives business leaders in both countries a standing table to sit at – not once every few years at a summit, but on an ongoing basis. That is how trust is built and that is how real progress is made,” Xulu said.
The NCCI said the council has been structured to ensure participation by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), providing them with access to business matchmaking opportunities, market information and a platform to raise regulatory and financing challenges affecting cross-border trade.
“No Namibian enterprise should be left out of this opportunity because of its size. SMEs are the heartbeat of inclusive growth and this Council must generate sustainable, decent jobs and open doors that were previously only accessible to the biggest players,” Nampala said.
The chambers said the council also supports broader regional integration efforts under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by strengthening industrial cooperation and investment across sectors such as green hydrogen, critical minerals, agro-processing and logistics.
