Staff Writer
Namibia’s intra-African trade recorded exports was valued at N$ 5.9 billion in May, according to the Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin for May released by the Namibia Statistics Agency.
On the other hand, the country imported goods worth N$7.0 billion from the continent, yielding a trade deficit of N$1.2 billion and total trade of N$12.9 billion.
The agency said a comparison of Namibia’s trade with Africa and the rest of the world highlights the significant role of regional markets, with intra-African exports accounting for 47.2% of total exports and imports from Africa making up 45.2% of total imports.
“This indicates that almost half of Namibia’s trade is regionally concentrated, underscoring the importance of African markets in balancing external trade dependence and strengthening regional economic integration. Namibia’s exports were mostly absorbed by countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe. In contrast, most imports came from the same countries, except for Zimbabwe and Botswana, which were replaced by Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria,” the agency said.
In May, Namibia’s exports to the African continent were predominantly concentrated in the southern region, accounting for 99.7% of the total intra-Africa exports.
Overall, intra-SADC exports represented 47.1% of Namibia’s total global export value during the month under review.
On the demand side, the month under review highlighted the significance of Southern African markets to the Namibian economy, with 91.6% of the total value of goods imported from Africa being sourced from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Consequently, Namibia’s intra-SADC imports accounted for 41.4% of the total value of imports from the world.
According to the agency, Intra-African trade is vital for promoting economic diversification, industrialization, and resilience by reducing dependence on external markets.
Through initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional blocs like the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), it enhances market access, strengthens regional value chains and supports sustainable economic growth across the continent, the agency stated.
