Diplomacy and Deals
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has told US officials that foreign investors are welcome in Namibia, provided they comply with the country’s laws and regulations.
She made the remarks during a courtesy call with Frank W Garcia Jr, the US assistant secretary of state for African affairs, at Namibia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The meeting took place on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and covered Namibia-US bilateral relations, issues concerning Africa and the wider international agenda, with trade and investment a central focus.
Garcia said the United States wanted to expand trade and investment relations with Namibia.
Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed Namibia’s openness to investment while stressing that investors must familiarise themselves with and comply with Namibian laws and regulations.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued engagement and to strengthening bilateral relations.
The talks formed part of a wider programme of diplomatic and economic engagements by Nandi-Ndaitwah during her week in New York.
Her programme included meetings with heads of state and government, senior international leaders, UN agencies, development partners and representatives of the private sector.
Economic issues featured prominently, with the president using several engagements to promote Namibia as an investment destination while emphasising industrialisation, local value addition, skills development and technology transfer.
The US meeting also came as Namibia sought to deepen economic relations with American businesses and investors.
At the Namibia-US Business Forum in New York on 25 September, Nandi-Ndaitwah called for investment to support local processing and manufacturing rather than simply the extraction and export of raw materials.
The government has identified sectors including mining, energy, agriculture, oil and gas, tourism, water, fisheries and transport and logistics as important to the country’s economic development.
The president’s engagements in New York concluded with Namibia seeking to turn the political relationship with the US into greater commercial cooperation.
Nandi-Ndaitwah urges US investors to back industrialisation
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on US investors to help Namibia move beyond the export of raw materials by supporting local processing, manufacturing and downstream industries.
Addressing the Namibia-US Business Forum in New York on 25 September, she said the private sector was a critical partner in implementing Namibia’s sixth National Development Plan and advancing the country’s industrialisation agenda.
“Namibia must industrialise,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said investment in Namibia’s natural resources should contribute to domestic industries, create opportunities for Namibian companies, generate decent employment and strengthen the country’s participation in regional and global value chains.
Her central objective, she said, was maximum local value addition and beneficiation.
The president identified seven priority areas for government and private-sector cooperation: agriculture; sport; youth empowerment; quality education and training; creative industries; quality health and social welfare; and land, housing and sanitation.
These would be supported by economic sectors including mining, energy, oil and gas, tourism, water, fisheries, and transport and logistics.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said capital alone was not enough, arguing that investment partnerships should also deliver skills and technology transfer.
She said partnerships with US businesses should deliberately develop Namibian technical expertise through training, knowledge transfer, innovation and opportunities for young people.
“Namibia’s economic transformation depends on developing the skilled workforce required by emerging industries,” she said.
She told the forum that Namibia offered a stable and peaceful business environment anchored on the rule of law and strong governance, as well as a strategic geographical position that provided access to regional and international markets.
Opportunities, she said, existed in mining, energy, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, creative industries, sport and global business services.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also said the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Bill and the Special Economic Zones Bill were nearing completion. Once enacted, she said, the measures would strengthen the investment environment.
She said the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board would work with investors to help turn identified opportunities into sustainable businesses.
The president’s message to the forum was that foreign capital should contribute to a broader shift in Namibia’s economy — from the extraction and export of raw materials towards domestic processing, manufacturing and the development of local skills and technology.
That shift, she said, would help create jobs and allow Namibia to retain a greater share of the value generated from its natural resources.
Cabo Verde stop-over becomes working visit
A technical stop-over in Cabo Verde became a working diplomatic visit after President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah met the country’s interim president following her participation in the UN General Assembly.
Nandi-Ndaitwah held talks with Janira Hopffer Almada on bilateral relations and ways to deepen cooperation between Namibia and Cabo Verde.
The two leaders agreed that pending bilateral agreements required more urgent attention and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties between the two countries.
The meeting brought a bilateral dimension to the conclusion of Nandi-Ndaitwah’s wider international programme, which began with her participation in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
During the New York leg of the visit, the president held engagements with heads of state and government, senior international leaders, UN agencies, development partners and US business representatives.
The discussions covered a range of issues, including sustainable development, investment, economic transformation, water security, maternal health and youth empowerment.
Namibia also reinforced its diplomatic engagement around water issues and the implementation of the Pact for the Future.
The economic focus was particularly strong, with Nandi-Ndaitwah promoting investment that supports industrialisation, local value addition, skills development and technology transfer.
At the Namibia-US Business Forum, she urged investors to support domestic processing and manufacturing and said partnerships should create opportunities for Namibian businesses and workers.
The visit also provided an opportunity to strengthen Namibia’s bilateral relationships beyond its immediate engagement with the United States.
The Cabo Verde talks focused on outstanding agreements and areas where the two countries could deepen cooperation.
With the president now back in Namibia, the diplomatic and business programme has moved from international engagements to the question of follow-through.
