Namibian Minister Calls on South Africa to Jointly Tackle Economic Challenges

By Xinhua 

October 15, 2023

Namibia’s Minister of Industrialization and Trade Lucia Iipumbu on Friday urged Namibia and South Africa to find new ways to work together and change their economic strategies.

Speaking at the Namibia-South Africa Business Forum and Exhibition held in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, Iipumbu underscored the need for the two nations to adapt to significant global changes, including supply chains, digital transformation and climate change.

“These challenges call for us to realign our economic efforts while we continue to address the persistent issues of poverty, inequality, unemployment, and, most recently, climate change,” Iipumbu said.

According to Iipumbu, the business forum is an opportunity for both countries to foster an effective and reliable platform to assess how they can develop key sectors such as agriculture and agro-processing, textiles and clothing, automotive, renewable energy, and green hydrogen.

Iipumbu highlighted how the two nations’ economic relations have grown stronger over time, with solid trade and investment connections, making them reliable partners for imports and exports.

Namibia’s primary export partner is South Africa, with South Africa accounting for 27 percent of its total exports, while South Africa remains the major import partner of Namibia, contributing 66 percent of Namibia’s total imports.