Namibia’s well-developed road infrastructure and the Port of Walvis Bay position the country as a strategic gateway for regional and continental trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

This was said by executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, in a speech read on his behalf by Zodwa Mabuza, UNECA chief of the subregional initiatives Section at the opening of the two-day Validation Workshop on the Step-by-Step Guide for Trading in Goods under the AfCFTA. 

“Namibia boasts one of the best road infrastructure networks on the continent as well as a world-class port in Walvis Bay,” he said at the event here on Thursday. 

Gatete said Namibia’s position as a transport and logistics hub in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region provided significant opportunities for growth in trade-related services. 

“The country serves landlocked countries such as Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the hinterlands of Tanzania, providing an alternative route that helps decongest the Port of Durban,” Gatete said. He said increased intra-African trade under the AfCFTA could further strengthen Namibia’s logistics and transport sector. 

Gatete said Namibia was among a select group of pilot countries that had developed a step-by-step guide to trading under AfCFTA, describing the initiative as an important milestone in improving private sector readiness. 

“The guide provides a clear pathway for transforming the AfCFTA from a vision and an agreement into a practical tool that can drive inclusive development and prosperity for Namibia,” he noted. 

He said the success of AfCFTA would largely depend on effective uptake and utilisation by the private sector, and the shifting global trade dynamics and rising protectionism underscored the need for African countries to work together to promote intra- African trade and investment. 

“Addressing challenges such as youth unemployment and inequality requires the identification of alternative markets, a role that the AfCFTA is well positioned to fulfil,” Gatete stated. The workshop is jointly organised by the Ministry of International Relations and Trade, the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, through its Subregional Office for Southern Africa and 

Africa Trade Policy Centre. Gatete urged participants to provide input to ensure the guide is accurate and user-friendly, saying, “This tool is meant to equip businesses with practical information to navigate regulatory and procedural requirements for cross-border trade under the AfCFTA.” 

-Nampa