Staff Reporter
THE Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), in collaboration with the Ministry of International Relations and Trade (MIRT), has launched the Namibia Exporters’ Guide to help Namibian businesses, particularly MSMEs, prepare for regional and international markets while supporting the country’s goals of increasing manufactured exports and domestic value addition.
The guide provides practical information on export readiness, market selection, trade requirements, standards, certification, documentation, logistics, finance and risk, while directing businesses to institutions that can provide further support.
It aligns with the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), the National Trade Policy and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) National Strategy, which seek to grow and diversify Namibia’s economy, strengthen its resilience and increase exports of Namibian goods and services.
The guide outlines national economic targets to 2029, including increasing the share of manufactured goods in total exports from 42% to 60% and raising the contribution of the agro-processing sector to gross domestic product from 7.5% to 10%.
It also highlights the government’s strategy of moving from the export of raw materials towards greater domestic value addition, industrial processing and manufacturing.
Priority and emerging export sectors identified in the guide include agriculture and agro-processing, fisheries, wood and charcoal, mineral beneficiation and manufacturing, as well as green hydrogen, oil and gas, logistics and tourism.
For agricultural and agro-processing businesses, opportunities include processed juices, fruit powders, marula oil, fresh produce, citrus and livestock and beef products. The fisheries sector includes marine and processed seafood products, while wood and charcoal products are also identified as potential export opportunities.
Namibian businesses can make use of various regional and international trade agreements that provide preferential, reduced-tariff or duty-free access to markets.
These include the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), the Southern African Development Community Free Trade Area, the Namibia-Zimbabwe Free Trade Area, the European Union-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement and the United Kingdom-SACU and Mozambique Economic Partnership Agreement.
The guide also highlights preferential access to the United States through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and other arrangements, as well as agreements involving EFTA-SACU and SACU-MERCOSUR.
It includes case studies of Namibian businesses that have expanded into international markets by addressing specific export requirements.
Aranos Firewood and Charcoal, for example, expanded from a pilot shipment of one truckload per month to eight truckloads per month to wholesalers in Cape Town and Pretoria after participating in the Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban in 2021.
Tuli-Line Trading, a producer of baobab juices, fruit powders and coffee, received financial and technical support through the She Exports Programme to obtain FSSC 22000 certification, helping it access the Chinese market.
ABC Trading CC, which exports fresh oranges to the United Arab Emirates, worked with Standard Bank to structure a Letter of Credit and currency-hedging solutions to reduce risks associated with non-payment and exchange-rate fluctuations.
Namib Chilli used DHL’s international logistics and customs pre-clearance services to export its specialty chilli products directly to buyers in the United Kingdom within two to three transit days.
The guide also outlines the steps businesses need to complete before exporting, beginning with formalising the business through the Business and Intellectual Property Authority, followed by tax registration and compliance with the Namibia Revenue Agency.
Exporters must also register for export permits through the IMEX online system managed by MIRT.
Depending on the sector, businesses may need to meet additional requirements through institutions such as the Directorate of Veterinary Services and the Livestock and Livestock Products Board for livestock and meat, the Namibian Agronomic Board for horticulture and crops, and the Namibia Standards Institution for standards and testing.
The guide identifies the Port of Walvis Bay and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group as key components of Namibia’s logistics infrastructure, including the Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi, Trans-Oranje and Trans-Cunene corridors.
It estimates that business setup can take between one and four weeks, market research between two and eight weeks, product certification between two weeks and six months depending on the product, and shipment preparation between two and three weeks.
The guide also identifies organisations that can support exporters, including NIPDB for market readiness and MSME development, MIRT for trade policies, agreements and export permits, and the Namibia Trade Forum for public-private trade dialogue and market access.
Commercial and development financing options include Standard Bank, Bank Windhoek, FNB, Nedbank, the Development Bank of Namibia, Agribank and Afreximbank.
The Namibia Exporters’ Guide is available on the NIPDB website (https://www.nipdb.com/exportersguide ) and is intended to help Namibian businesses better understand export requirements and identify opportunities in regional, continental and international markets.
Photo: Namibia Exporters’ Guide (Volume 01)
