Namibia–EU Business Forum Drives Investment as Trade reaches N$17.6 Billion

The Forum will help pave the way for new investments, industrial growth and job opportunities for Namibia's youth. Over three days, the Forum translated the Namibia-EU partnership into concrete action through discussions on trade and investment, green industrialisation, critical raw materials, automotive industries, agribusiness, and the cultural and creative sectors.

Addressing delegates during the closing session, European Union Ambassador to Namibia, H.E. Ana Beatriz Martins, emphasised that the Forum demonstrated the growing momentum of the Namibia-EU partnership and the shared commitment to creating jobs, expanding industries, and building sustainable economic growth. "Namibia and the European Union have a unique opportunity to shape a sustainable and prosperous future together, for your citizens, for our citizens, and for our shared planet. We sign these commitments today, and from tomorrow we get to work," Ambassador Martins stated.

Namibia's Minister of International Relations and Trade, Hon. Amb. Selma Ashipala-Musavyi officially closed the Forum, together with the NPC DG, Hon. Amb. Dr. Kaire Mbuende and the Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Hon. Modestus Amutse (MIME) highlighting the strategic importance of the Namibia-EU partnership and the shared ambition to drive industrialisation, trade and sustainable growth.

The closing session also reflected on the success of the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which marks its tenth anniversary since its signing in June 2016. An independent trade study by economist Robin Sherbourne confirmed that the EU remains one of Namibia's largest and most diversified trade partners.

Over the past decade, Namibia-EU trade has doubled to N$17.6 billion, with exports ranging from mining and fisheries to agriculture, beef and charcoal. This diversity makes Namibia-EU trade a powerful engine for job creation across the country. Preliminary estimates show that approximately 46,762 Namibian jobs are directly linked to exports of goods to the EU alone. This does not yet include services such as tourism, which support thousands of additional jobs around the country.

Participants also acknowledged the role of the European Union's Global Gateway initiative in supporting sustainable infrastructure, industrialisation, skills development and long-term investment partnerships in Namibia. Discussions highlighted Namibia's emergence as a future green industrial and logistics hub for the region. There are currently eight large-scale green hydrogen projects in the pipeline, representing an estimated investment potential of around N$390 billion (€20 billion). In addition, proposed cooperation between European and Namibian partners in ports and rail could unlock significant new investment and strengthen Namibia's position as a regional trade gateway.

The Forum concluded with several important announcements and signing ceremonies aimed at supporting Namibia's long-term economic transformation and green industrial ambitions:

1. The "Making Lüderitz Town Council Fit for the Future" project will help prepare Lüderitz for future investment, economic expansion and urban growth. The project will be implemented by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) in partnership with the Lüderitz Town Council, with an EU contribution of €1.5 million (N$29 million) and Netherlands contribution of €308.000 over two and a half years.

2. The "Support to the Namibian Standards Institute" project will strengthen standards development for emerging green industries and enhance Namibia's industrial competitiveness. The initiative will be implemented by the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) in partnership with the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI), with a total budget of €750,000 (N$14.5 million) over two years.

3. The Namibia window of the EU Pan-African Support to Geological Sciences and Technology (PanAfGeo+) programme, together with the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), will support implementation of the Critical Raw Materials value chains leg of the EU-Namibia partnership through coordination, knowledge management, and improved access to geoscience-related equipment. The project carries a budget of €1.8 million (N$35 million) over two years.

4. The National Critical Raw Materials Strategy project will support the development of Namibia's National Critical Raw Materials Strategy, including policy, legal, institutional and investment frameworks for exploration, beneficiation and circular economy integration. The project has a budget of €386,860 (N$7.5 million) over 12 months.

5. The Forum also announced plans for the upcoming Green Industries Summit, scheduled to take place in Swakopmund in September 2026. The Summit is expected to further position Namibia as one of Africa's leading destinations for green industrial investment and strategic partnerships.

The successful conclusion of the 2nd Namibia-EU Business Forum marks another major step forward in strengthening Namibia-EU cooperation, expanding trade and investment ties, and positioning Namibia as a leading destination for sustainable investment, green industrialisation and long-term economic growth in Africa.