Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for increased US investment in Namibia, highlighting opportunities in energy, critical minerals, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and other sectors while urging partnerships that create jobs, develop skills and promote local value addition.
Nandi-Ndaitwah made the call during a Presidential Roundtable hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, at the invitation of Kendra L. Gaither, President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center.
The high-level engagement focused on strengthening commercial ties between Namibia and the United States, attracting investment and building partnerships to support Namibia’s industrialisation and economic transformation.
Photos: Namibian Presidency
Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted Namibia’s strategic position as a logistics and trade gateway to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, as well as investment opportunities in energy, oil and gas, critical minerals, green hydrogen, mining, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, logistics and manufacturing.
The discussions included Ross Perot Jr., Chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and Kaveh Farzad of the U.S. Department of Energy, who outlined potential areas of cooperation in trade, investment and energy.
Farzad also highlighted efforts to expand electricity access, generation capacity and manufacturing across Africa.
Nandi-Ndaitwah called for partnerships that bring investment, technology, innovation and skills to Namibia while advancing value addition and creating opportunities for Namibian businesses and communities.
“Namibia is open for business,” she said.
The President invited American companies to partner with Namibian enterprises, support infrastructure development and help unlock opportunities in Namibia and the wider African market.
Perot said the engagement was aimed at converting discussions into concrete investment deals, business partnerships and tangible economic outcomes, while identifying practical measures to attract capital and improve investment predictability.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia welcomes private-sector investment but stressed that investors must comply with the country’s laws and consider the needs of local communities.
She said businesses are expected to align projects with national development priorities and balance commercial objectives with community responsibilities, particularly in energy and other critical sectors.
The Roundtable forms part of Namibia’s economic diplomacy efforts during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with the President accompanied by business representatives as the Government seeks to translate high-level engagements into jobs, skills development, infrastructure and value-addition opportunities.
Echoing her remarks at the UN Private Sector Forum, Nandi-Ndaitwah said investments in oil and gas, green hydrogen and renewable energy should contribute to reliable and affordable electricity, job creation, wider energy access and industrialisation, rather than focusing solely on emissions reduction.
