WALVIS BAY – Namibia has commissioned the export of its first-ever shipment of homegrown table grapes to European countries through the port of Walvis Bay on Wednesday.
The consignment, which consists of 250 containers of grapes produced in Aussenkehr was made possible by the producers, the Namibia Grape Company (NGC), a subsidiary of the National Youth Service (NYS), through its partnership with Capespan Namibia.
In 2021, the NYS officially gained ownership of the NGC through a donation from the Namibian government. The donation was aimed at integrating the company as a subsidiary of the NYS, dedicated to financially supporting the service’s training programmes for the benefit of the youth.
Minister of youth Agnes Tjongarero, during the commissioning ceremony dubbed the occasion as a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards economic growth and the localisation of key logistical services.
“The commencement of grape exports through the Walvis Bay Port represents not only a great triumph for our grape production industry and stakeholders but also a testament to the collaborative spirit that defines our nation. It reflects the dedication of the grape production sector, the vision of our government, and the unwavering support of our partners,” Tjongarero noted.
NGC Chairperson Richwell Lukonga commended the relationship between the NGC board and Capespan to ensure the localisation of some of the critical process such as shipping of grapes through the Namibian port and transportation.
Namport’s CEO Andrew Kanime highlighted that this export is part of Namibia’s developmental goals of being the biggest logistics hub for the region.
“This is therefore part of our country’s overarching intent of economic development and obviously, poverty alleviation. The attainment of this audacious goal requires amongst others that we extend our focus and market beyond Namibia’s borders, to landlocked neighbours within the region and this is our way of contributing to regional economic integration,” he said. – Nampa