Chamwe Kaira
Namibia exported goods worth N$5.4 billion to the African continent in November, while imports from Africa amounted to N$6.7 billion.
This resulted in a trade deficit of N$1.3 billion and total trade of N$12.1 billion for the month.
A comparison of Namibia’s trade with Africa and the rest of the world shows that intra-Africa exports accounted for 54.2% of total exports. Imports from Africa represented 46.7% of total imports.
According to the Namibia Statistics Agency’s (NSA) Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin, this means that 45.8% of Namibia’s exports were destined for countries outside the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Similarly, 53.3% of import transactions were concluded with countries outside the AfCFTA.
In November, Namibia’s overall trade balance recorded a deficit of N$4.4 billion.
This was worse than the N$2.9 billion deficit recorded in October. On a year-on-year basis, the trade deficit stood at N$5.5 billion.
Within Africa, Namibia’s main export destinations were South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.
Imports largely came from South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Eswatini.
Namibia recorded a trade surplus on food items of N$291 million in November.
“The surplus on food items was mainly attributed to fish exports, which stood at N$808 million. Over the period spanning November 2024 to November 2025, Namibia’s overall trade on food items averaged a trade surplus amounting to N$326 million. The highest trade surplus was N$792 million, observed in July 2025, followed by December 2024 and June 2025 with N$621 million and N$618 million, respectively. Over this period deficits were only recorded in November 2024 with N$323 million,” NSA said.
Fish and other aquatic invertebrates made the largest contribution to food exports in November, accounting for 45.6%.
This was followed by edible fruits and nuts, including citrus fruits and melons, at 26.1%. Meat and edible meat offal ranked third with a share of 16.1%. The top five food export categories together accounted for 93.8% of total food exports.
On the import side, sugar and sugar confectionery dominated with a share of 13.8%.
Miscellaneous edible preparations and cereals followed, accounting for 9.6% and 8.8%, respectively. The top five imported food items made up 49.1% of total food imports in November.
Imports of beverages averaged N$357 million between November 2024 and November 2025, with October 2025 recording the highest value at N$677 million.
Over the same period, beverage exports averaged N$97 million. November recorded the highest export value at N$179 million, while the lowest value of N$51 million was recorded in September 2025.
Caption
A worker harvesting grapes. Intra-Africa exports accounted for 54.2% of Namibia’s total exports in November.
- Photo: Contributed
