Staff Reporter
IN March 2026, Namibia’s trade figures showed exports amounting to N$13.2 billion, while imports were higher at N$15.5 billion, resulting in a trade deficit (a negative difference between the country’s exports and imports) of N$2.3 billion.
This development reflects an improved trade balance compared to the N$5.2 billion deficit recorded a month earlier. Further analysis also shows a N$2.3 billion deficit recorded in March 2025.
Alex Shimuafeni, Statistician-General at the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), said that analysis of Namibia’s top trading partners revealed that China emerged as the country’s largest export market, while South Africa maintained its position as the country’s main source of imports.
“In terms of goods, the country’s export basket for March 2026 was mainly composed of commodities from the mining sector, such as uranium, non-monetary gold, ‘nickel ores and concentrates’, and precious stones (diamonds). Fish was the only non-mineral product among the top five exports. Re-exports notably increased by 86.4% on a monthly basis and by 12.7% on an annual basis,” Shimuafeni said.
He added that the re-export basket primarily comprised ‘nickel ores and concentrates’, petroleum oils, ‘ores and concentrates of base metals’, ‘made-up articles of textile materials’, and ‘miscellaneous chemical products’. On the other hand, the import basket mainly comprised petroleum oils, motor vehicles (for commercial purposes), ‘nickel ores and concentrates’, motor vehicles for the transportation of persons, and ‘civil engineering and contractors’ equipment’.
“A closer review of trade in food items revealed that Namibia was a net exporter (exported more than it imported) of food, with a trade surplus of N$462 million, and a net importer (imported more than it exported) of beverages, having recorded a deficit amounting to N$190 million,” Shimuafeni said.
The current report considered vehicles (for commercial purposes) as the commodity of the month. The analysis revealed that, on the demand side, the country imported vehicles (for commercial purposes) worth N$979 million, mainly from South Africa, India and China, while on the supply side, the country exported the same commodity (which is solely a re-export) worth N$48 million, mainly destined for Zambia.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: File
