Namibia’s export performance continues to show impressive growth, underscoring the country’s expanding role in regional trade and investment. As of late 2024, Namibia’s total exports to African markets exceeded N$4.7 billion, while imports from the continent stood at N$7.7 billion. The country’s key export commodities — diamonds, uranium, gold, fish, and copper — continue to drive its trade momentum, complemented by emerging growth in horticultural products. Notably, intra-African exports accounted for 52.3% of Namibia’s total exports, while imports represented 51.8%, reflecting significant progress toward Agenda 2063’s vision of a unified African market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In 2024, Namibia recorded N$102.1 billion in exports within Africa and N$166.6 billion in imports, showing steady growth compared to previous National Development Plan (NDP5) averages of N$64.9 billion and N$89.9 billion, respectively. Although the country still runs a trade deficit due to high import levels, its integration into regional and global markets remains robust. Namibia ranked fourth in regional integration in 2023 with a score of 64.7, and second in trade integration among 54 African countries. The country remains an active member of several major trade frameworks, including SACU, SADC, the Tripartite FTA, AfCFTA, EPAs, and the WTO.
Key Takeaways: Namibia’s growing trade footprint and proactive policy direction under the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) are set to further boost its role in African trade. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced that NDP6 will focus on leveraging existing trade arrangements, deepening regional integration, and strengthening institutional coordination between government, the private sector, and development partners. Strategic trade reforms under the plan aim to reduce tariffs, improve logistics, and enhance legal and regulatory frameworks to combat illicit financial flows and promote fair competition. By 2030, Namibia targets to raise export value to N$168 billion and foreign direct investment (FDI) to N$254 billion.
Between 2021 and 2023, Namibia attracted N$114.9 billion in FDI inflows, with N$58.9 billion coming from oil and gas exploration alone. This performance positioned the country among Africa’s top FDI destinations, rising from 16th place in 2022 to 7th in 2023, and leading the continent in FDI as a percentage of GDP — 19% in 2023, compared to 8.4% in 2022. These achievements signal Namibia’s growing competitiveness and commitment to creating a favorable trade and investment climate. As the country aligns its trade strategy with AfCFTA and other regional frameworks, Namibia is well-positioned to drive intra-African trade growth, attract sustainable investments, and contribute meaningfully to the continent’s economic transformation.