CHAMWE KAIRA
Namibia recorded a trade deficit of N$3.9 billion in August. This was as a result of the country’s trade developments revealing that exports amounted to N$12.7 billion in August, while imports were higher at N$16.6 billion.
This resulted in a trade deficit (a negative difference between the country’s exports and imports) of N$3.9 billion.
“This development reflects an improved trade balance when compared to the N$5.9 billion deficit recorded in July 2026. Further analysis shows a N$5.3 billion deficit recorded in the same month of the previous year,” said Alex Shimuafeni, statistician general and chief executive officer of the Namibia Statistics Agency.
Analysis of Namibia’s major trading partners showed that France (uranium exports) emerged as the country’s largest export destination, while South Africa continued to be the leading source of imports.
Namibia’s export basket in August 2026 was largely dominated by mining products, particularly uranium, non-monetary gold, diamonds, and nickel ores and concentrates.
Fish was the only non-mineral commodity among the top five export products. Re-exports declined by 2.4% monthly but increased by 24.3% compared to August 2025.
The re-export basket consisted mainly of nickel ores and concentrates, petroleum oils, ‘sulphur and unroasted iron pyrites’, fertilizers, and other crude minerals.
Conversely, the import basket was dominated by petroleum oils, nickel ores and concentrates, ‘sulphur and unroasted iron pyrites’, commercial motor vehicles, and ‘mechanical handling equipment and their parts’.
Shimuafeni said a detailed analysis of trade in food and beverages indicated that Namibia was a net exporter of food products, recording a trade surplus of N$773 million, as food exports exceeded imports.
In contrast, Namibia was a net importer of beverages, with beverage imports surpassing exports, resulting in a trade deficit of N$193 million.
The August report focused on ‘Poultry and poultry products’ as the commodity of the month.
“The analysis indicates that, on the supply side, Namibia exported poultry and poultry products valued at N$49 million, with the DRC, Zambia, and Botswana serving as the main export destinations. On the demand side, the country imported poultry and poultry products worth N$53.4 million, primarily sourced from Brazil, South Africa, and the United States of America,” he said.
