The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), in collaboration with Deloitte, TotalEnergies and Shell, convened a national virtual feedback session on Friday. 

This is to present the findings of the Industrial Baseline Survey (IBS) for the upstream oil and gas sector to NCCI members and non-members. 

Commissioned to evaluate Namibia’s industrial and workforce capacity, the IBS provides a structured overview of local supply chain readiness, skills availability and institutional gaps. It outlines areas of opportunity for local participation and identifies sectors that will require targeted support to align with international operating standards. 

The study was launched in December 2024. It is officially endorsed by the government. It was conducted by Deloitte Namibia with technical and stakeholder input from the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, Namcor and Petrofund. 

“This study arrives at a critical point in our national economic trajectory as the country aspires to develop new economic levers. It provides an evidence-based framework to guide local capability development, workforce planning and local content policy, particularly in anticipation of upstream oil and gas investment,” said NCCI Titus Nampala CEO. 

He stated that, to take full advantage of this discovery, they must enhance their capacity across the entire supply and value chain so that more of the dollar is retained domestically, unlike during the exploration phase. 

Nampala added that if a positive final investment decision (FID) is reached on the various wells currently under analysis, the country must be prepared to respond in step with the industry’s demands, making this IBS more critical. 

The findings reflect Namibia’s quick wins in sectors such as general waste management, road construction works and information and communication services whilst others require minimal investment to ramp up, such as civil works and warehousing. 

However, the findings flag the need for stronger compliance infrastructure, technical certification and investment in health, safety and environmental standards. 

The IBS findings align with the recent UNCTAD-NCCI Industry and Policy Engagement Workshop. 

The workshop was held from 7–10 July 2025 in Windhoek. The discussions brought together industry experts and development institutions to discuss Namibia’s production capabilities and potential manufacturable products that the country can produce. 

“The UNCTAD workshops underscored what the data now confirms. We are not starting from zero, but we must address fragmentation across policy, training and investment ecosystems. The time to coordinate is now,” Nampala remarked.