President urges Namibian businesses to seize China trade opportunities

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged Namibian businesses to take advantage of expanding trade opportunities with China, saying stronger private-sector investment will be key to creating jobs and achieving the government's economic targets.

Addressing members of the Namibian business delegation in China ahead of her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the government could not achieve its development goals without the private sector.

“We must now strengthen our economic relationship with China,” she said. “The targets we have set can only be met by the private sector. We must create jobs.”

She thanked the more than 100 Namibian business representatives who travelled to China on their own cost, saying the visit presented an opportunity to build new partnerships and attract investment.

The President encouraged businesses to position themselves to benefit from China's decision to grant selected African countries, including Namibia, zero-tariff access for a range of exports.

“As you engage with your Chinese counterparts, you must emphasise manufacturing and value addition. Whatever we produce and export here will enter at zero tariff, and that is what any business person wants,” she said.

She identified mining, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, technology, tourism, logistics, infrastructure, water, housing, youth development and sport as priority sectors for investment.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia should move beyond exporting raw materials and instead process more products locally, particularly critical and rare earth minerals.

“We want the minerals to be processed in Namibia,” she said.

She also urged businesses to target regional and continental markets rather than Namibia's population of about three million.

“Think about the Southern African market of 300 million people and the more than 1 billion people across Africa through the Continental Free Trade Area,” she said, adding that Namibia is set to be the logistics hub of the region and beyond.

The President acknowledged challenges facing investors, including visa processes and the need to improve Namibia's one-stop investment services through greater use of technology.

She said government remained committed to supporting the private sector and would work to create an enabling environment for businesses to succeed.

“We will do our best to assist our business people for them to succeed,” she said.