Small livestock sales take a dip
Preliminary marketing statistics for 2025 indicate a downturn in Namibia’s small livestock sector, with both sheep and goat marketing activity declining compared to the previous year.
According to the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia, total sheep marketing fell from 804 519 head in 2024 to 527 786 head in 2025, representing a 34.4% decline. The goat sector proved more resilient, with total marketing decreasing by 6.7%, from 142 103 head in 2024 to 132 646 head in 2025.
Sheep
The primary driver of the reduction in sheep marketing was a significant drop in live exports. Total live sheep exports decreased by 37.2%, falling from 617 938 in 2024 to 388 337 head in 2025. South Africa remained the dominant destination for these exports. Other regional markets showed mixed activity: exports to Botswana remained stable at 1 635 head, compared to 1 644 in 2024, while exports to Zimbabwe increased from 134 to 384 head. Angola received 305 head.
Abattoirs
Domestic sheep slaughtering also trended downward, with total slaughtering reaching 139 449 head in 2025, compared to 186 581 in 2024, a 25.3% decrease.
Activity at A-class export abattoirs showed diverging trends. Farmers Meat Market significantly increased its throughput, processing 50 168 head in 2025, up from 33 851 in 2024. Conversely, Natural Namibian Meat Producers saw a sharp decline, processing 10 933 head in 2025, compared to 38 306 in 2024.
B- and C-class abattoirs south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (S-VCF), which cater largely to the domestic market, processed 78 348 head in 2025, a 31.5% decrease from the 114 424 head recorded in 2024.
Goats
The goat sector maintained relative stability throughout 2025. The marginal decline in total marketing was reflected in live exports, which decreased by 6%, from 139 645 head in 2024 to 131 249 heads in 2025. South Africa remains the primary destination for Namibian goats. Among other regional markets, exports to Botswana increased to 948 head (up from 787 in 2024), while Zimbabwe received 1 324 head (up from 1,068 in 2024).
Local goat slaughtering remains a small portion of the total market. B- and C-class abattoirs processed 1 397 head in 2025, down from 2 458 in 2024.
Monthly trends
Sheep marketing activity peaked in April with 66 593 head, while the lowest volume was recorded in January with 19 771 head. For the goat sector, marketing activity was highest in April at 11 802 head and lowest in January at 4 542 head.