CHAMWE KAIRA
Namibia recorded a trade deficit of N$4.4 billion in April 2026, as imports continued to exceed exports, according to Statistician-General and Namibia Statistics Agency chief executive officer, Alex Shimuafeni.
The country’s total exports for the month amounted to N$9.8 billion, while imports stood at N$14.2 billion.
This marks a deterioration from a N$2.1 billion deficit recorded in April 2025, as well as a wider gap compared to the N$2.3 billion deficit registered in the previous month.
A breakdown of trade data shows that South Africa remained Namibia’s largest trading partner, serving as both the leading destination for exports and the main source of imports.
Namibia’s export basket for April 2026 was largely driven by mining commodities, including non-monetary gold, uranium, diamonds and petroleum oils.
Fish was the only non-mineral product among the top five exports.
Re-exports also increased significantly, rising by 39.8% on a monthly basis and 12.6% year-on-year.
These re-exports mainly included nickel ores and concentrates, petroleum oils, fertilisers, sulphur and unroasted iron pyrites, as well as aircraft and related equipment.
On the import side, petroleum oils dominated, followed by nickel ores and concentrates, motor vehicles for commercial use, civil engineering and construction equipment, and passenger vehicles.
In terms of food trade, Namibia recorded a surplus of N$733 million, making it a net exporter of food items. However, in beverages, the country remained a net importer, recording a deficit of N$151 million.
The report also highlighted hides and skins as the commodity of the month.
Namibia exported hides and skins worth N$2.1 million, mainly to Italy, South Africa, Germany and Ghana, while imports of the same commodity were minimal and sourced exclusively from South Africa.
Intra-African trade continued to play an important role in Namibia’s external trade.
Exports to African markets amounted to N$5.5 billion in April 2026, while imports from the continent totalled N$7.7 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of N$2.3 billion and total trade of N$13.2 billion.
Intra-African trade accounted for 56.1% of total exports and 54.7% of total imports, highlighting the importance of regional markets in Namibia’s trade structure and its ongoing economic integration within the continent.
