By The Staff Reporter
The inaugural export consignment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework was launched on Monday.
This event marked a significant step in the country鈥檚 economic integration into the continent, with Namibian salt being the first commodity exported under the new agreement.
The historic occasion, which was held in Walvis Bay, was officiated by the Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi.
鈥淭oday marks the beginning of a journey that seeks to position Namibia to take full advantage of Africa麓s single market. Traditionally, Namibia has relied on the Southern African Customs Union and the Southern African Development Community as its primary trade blocs,鈥 she said in her opening statement
Ashipala-Musavyi said with the advent of the AfCFTA, Namibia now has the opportunity to expand its reach well beyond these regional borders, accessing new markets across the west, north, and central Africa.
According to Ashipala-Musavyi, this broadening of trade horizons allows Namibia to tap into new growth opportunities, diversify its export base, and reduce dependency on a limited number of regional markets.
Shipala-Musavyi reiterated that the AfCFTA, a flagship project of the African Union鈥檚 Agenda 2063, aims to create a single continental market of over 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion.
She noted that this offers Namibian businesses a 鈥渢remendous opportunity to expand their market reach, enhance competitiveness, and contribute to economic growth and diversification.鈥
Namibia has demonstrated a consistent commitment to the AfCFTA process. The country signed the agreement on 2 July 2018, ratified it on 25 January 2019, and deposited its instrument of ratification on 1 February 2019. A significant step towards operational readiness was taken on 20 December 2024, when Namibia gazetted its AfCFTA tariff offer, thereby positioning itself to commence trading under the framework
Also delivering a speech at the event, Dr Christian Shingiro, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Namibia deputy resident representative, highlighted that the goal is not just free trade, but fair trade鈥攖rade that empowers the vulnerable, uplifts communities, protects the environment, and shares prosperity equitably.
鈥淥n behalf of UNDP, I reaffirm our full support toward building greener, more inclusive, and more resilient economies, leaving no one behind,鈥 he concluded.