Staff Writer
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has invited Chinese investors to partner with Namibia in key sectors including mining, agriculture, renewable energy, logistics, and infrastructure, as the country seeks to transform its economy from raw material exports to value addition and industrialisation.
Speaking at the Namibia-China Business Forum in Guangzhou on Monday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia is open for trade and investment and ready to deepen its long-standing economic and political ties with China through practical partnerships.
The President chose Guangdong Province as the starting point for her State Visit, describing it as one of China’s most developed areas and a centre of innovation, manufacturing, trade, and technology.
She noted historical links between Guangdong and Namibia, which should be strengthened through trade and investment.
“My stay in the Guangdong Province thus far has shown me the ability of China to set itself an ambitious development and prosperity objective, and then actually reaching that through hard work, innovation and a keen eye for opportunity,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
Namibia’s economy is primarily mineral-based, with uranium, copper, lithium, diamonds, and rare earth minerals found in abundance.
However, the President acknowledged that for too long, these minerals have been extracted and exported as raw materials, leading to minimal development despite economic growth.
“Due to a lack of development and slow economic expansion, many of our people, particularly youth, including those with skills, are unemployed. It’s now obvious that unemployment and poverty are visible in our communities,” she said.
In light of this, she said the government has taken a deliberate decision to transform the economy by focusing on industrialisation with specific attention to value addition and beneficiation of natural resources.
She highlighted Namibia’s strategic advantages, including a 1,570-kilometre coastline with two developed harbours, positioning the country as a logistics hub for Southern Africa and the continent.
Minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi echoed this sentiment, telling Chinese businesspeople that investing in Namibia means access to over 300 million consumers across the SADC region.
“When you invest in Namibia, you are not investing in a market of over three million people. You are investing in a market of over 300 million consumers across the Southern African Development Community region, and 1.2 billion in the larger African market,” Ashipala-Musavyi said.
With over 300 days of sunshine per year and world-class coastal winds, Namibia has the potential to become a renewable energy powerhouse.
Nandi-Ndaitwah invited Guangdong companies with relevant technology to partner with Namibia, promising long-term dollar-denominated power purchase agreements that guarantee returns.
She also assured investors that Namibia is one of the most peaceful and stable democracies in Africa, with peaceful transfers of power since independence in 1990, an independent judiciary, and constitutionally protected property rights.
She noted that investors can repatriate profits, dividends, and capital without restriction, and a one-stop investment centre has been established to streamline administrative processes.
The President cited the Husab uranium mine, operated by China General Nuclear for over a decade, as a Guangdong success story.
The company recently partnered with NamWater in a desalination plant project. She extended an invitation to a Guangdong business delegation to visit Namibia in the immediate future to meet potential joint-venture partners across priority sectors.
“Come to Namibia, invest, grow, and let us succeed together,” the President stated.
The President was accompanied by over 200 business representatives, including executives from the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as several Cabinet ministers.
The Presidency has also clarified that, contrary to public speculation, the business delegation travelled to China at their own expense, having responded to an open Expression of Interest issued by the NIPDB.
The participating businesses are exploring commercial opportunities, establishing partnerships, and seeking export markets for Namibian products and services.
The Presidency described the strong participation as testament to the opportunities the private sector sees in engaging the world’s second-largest economy, noting that businesses do not invest their own time and resources unless they believe there is real potential to grow their enterprises.
