Global trade shifts are a catalyst for Namibia to look inward, strengthen its own markets, and build resilience through intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The AfCFTA Opportunity: The AfCFTA is Africa’s insurance policy against global shocks. With a combined GDP of over US$3.4 trillion, it offers Namibia a platform to industrialise, diversify, and reduce dependency. The country already has regional champions like NamlBrew, Namibia Dairies, and Feedmaster successfully exporting across SADC.

Confronting Dependency: Namibia’s trade deficit is overwhelmingly tied to its reliance on South Africa, from which it imports 80% of its agro-produce, 90% of household consumables, and most of its furniture and vehicles. This vulnerability is also a massive opportunity for local producers to capture this market and transform Namibia’s trade balance.

Building Industrial Capacity: The strategy involves:

• Expanding Special Economic Zones tailored for intra-African trade.

• Introducing targeted export subsidies for youth- and women-led enterprises.

• Decentralizing industrial activity across all 14 regions for inclusive growth.

• Improving border management and trade facilitation.

• Exploring visionary regional projects like a joint oil refinery with Botswana to achieve energy sovereignty and stimulate auxiliary industries.