Renthia Kaimbi
Namibia is now home to about 54 Japanese companies. Minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi revealed this during high-level talks in Tokyo, Japan.
She said their presence reflects the growing economic ties between Namibia and Japan.
Ashipala-Musavyi met Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, on Wednesday. The two discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen economic cooperation, and support Namibia’s industrialisation drive.
The talks focused on aligning Japanese investment with Namibia’s current national priorities under the leadership of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
“The presence of around 54 Japanese companies in Namibia is a clear testament to the country’s standing as a stable and attractive destination for global investment.”
She observed that the relationship between Namibia and Japan has expanded beyond traditional development aid, now focussing on trade, investment, and long-term partnerships.
Ashipala-Musavyi said these investments play a key role in the government’s plan to position Namibia as a regional industrial and logistics hub.
She added that achieving this goal requires strategic cooperation in sectors such as mining, energy, fisheries, logistics, and digitalisation, where Japan has strong global expertise.
She also expressed appreciation for Japan’s continued support through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), describing it as predictable and high quality.
She said Namibia values this partnership as the two countries work toward shared prosperity and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, Motegi said Japan is keen to further strengthen economic relations with Namibia.
He also highlighted Japan’s past development cooperation with Namibia and the interest of Japanese companies in the country’s mineral and energy resources.
Following the meeting, Ashipala-Musavyi held discussions with Japanese business leaders from the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security, Maruha Nichiro and Keidanren, some of which already operate in Namibia.
The discussions focused on moving beyond raw material extraction to local value addition.
Ashipala-Musavyi urged Japanese companies to invest more in processing and manufacturing within Namibia to support job creation and skills development for Namibians.
