Namibia exported 22 843 hectolitres of alcoholic beverages in May, of which beer accounted for a share of 93.1 percent.
South Africa (90.1 percent) was the top export destination for beverages, followed by Zambia (4.7 percent), Democratic Republic of Congo (3.1 percent) and Mozambique with a share of 0.7 percent.
Namibia imported a total of 87 655 hectolitres of beverages during the month of May, as opposed to 80 024 hectolitres recorded in April 2023 and 80 951 hectolitres registered in the corresponding month of 2022.
The Composite Production Index for beverages consisting of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for May recorded a decline of 5.8 percent monthly compared to a decline of 12.4 percent recorded in April, Namibia Statistics Agency revealed. Similarly, the index recorded a decrease of 7 percent.
The Agency said the decline in the monthly index emanated from a drop in the production of alcoholic beverages.
A total of 266 313 hectolitres of beverage was produced in May, a decrease when compared to 282 744 hectolitres recorded in April and 286 258 hectolitres recorded in May 2022.
The Alcoholic Beverage Production Index recorded a monthly increase of 14.7 percent in May compared to a marginal increase of 0.7 percent recorded a month earlier. Moreover, the index declined by 30.7 percent on an annual basis.
The production of alcoholic beverages in May stood at 135 180 hectolitres compared to 158 544 hectolitres and 194 962 hectolitres that was registered in April 2023 and the corresponding period of 2022, respectively.
The Non-Alcoholic Beverage Production Index registered a monthly increase of 5.6 percent in May, compared to a decline of 24.8 percent that was registered in the preceding month.
Moreover, the index recorded an increase of 43.6 percent year-on-year. The production of non-alcoholic beverages in May amounted to 131 133 hectolitres compared to 124 200 hectolitres and 91 296 hectolitres that was recorded in April and May 2022, respectively.
The Beverage Export Composite Index for May declined by 39.3 percent monthly compared to an increase of 65.9 percent recorded in the preceding month. Similarly, the index recorded a decrease of 53.1 percent on an annual basis. The monthly decrease emanated from a drop in the export of alcoholic beverages.
The agency said a total of 23 280 hectolitres of beverages were exported during the month of May compared to 38 357 hectolitres and 49 640 hectolitres that were exported in April and the corresponding month of 2022, respectively.
