Location: South-western coast of Africa, bordering Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Area: 824,268 km2

Population: (2001) 1.826,845

Population Growth rate: 2.6 %

Currency: Namibian Dollar (N$) pegged1:1 to the South African Rand.

GDP (2002): N$ 32,116 Million (US$ 4,0145 million where US$ 1 = N$8)

GDP GROWTH (1993 - 2002): 4% average

GDP per capita (2002) N$ 17,580 (US$ 2.197)

Inflation: (1993 - 2002): 8.5% average

Key economic sectors/GDP (1993 - 2002) 19% primary sector, 16% secondary sector, 55% tertiary sector

Main Exports: 52% minerals (70% diamonds), 25% fish and fish products, 13% live animals. meat and meat products.

Main Export Destinations: United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Switzerland, United States, China, Angola and the Netherlands.

Main source of imports: South Africa, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States and China.

Doing business in Namibia

Occupying an area of 824,268 km, the Republic of Namibia enjoys one of Africa’s most pleasant, peaceful and politically stables environments. Its infrastructure rivals that in many developed countries, with existing and potential trading partners linked by road, rail, air or ship with neighboring South Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and by ship and air with the rest of the world.

Namibia’s membership of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) enables duty-and quote-free access to markets in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. As one of the 14 SADC member states \Namibia has preferential trade links to the 190 million inhabitants of the Southern African sub-region. Namibia is also a signatory to the Trade and Development Agreement (also known as the Cotonou Agreement) between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Union. This agreement provides duty-free access to European Union markets for a wide range of manufactured goods and agricultural products. It also has duty-and quota-free access to the lucrative markets in the United States of America market under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Act is a US trade initiative and an opportunity to foster development in Africa.

Namibia has a highly competitive incentive and fiscal regime, which not only adds its attractiveness for foreign investors, but also creates an ideal business environment. The cornerstones of this regime are the Foreign Investment Act (1990) and its provision for, amongst other things, a Certificate of Status of Investment, special incentives for manufacturers and exporters, and the Export Processing Zone Incentives. The Foreign Investment Act led to the creation of the Namibian Investment Centre within the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Centre is designed to facilitate the process of investment in the country.

The Act further provides for:
Liberal foreign investment conditions
The equal treatment of foreign and local investors
Openness of all sectors of the economy to foreign investment
Full protection of investments, and
The granting of a Certificate of Status of Investment.

The tax and non-tax incentive regimes designed for manufacturers and exporters give the competitive edge to Namibian-based entrepreneurs who invest in manufacturing and export trades. These incentives are accessible to both existing and new manufacturers. Manufacturing activities in all sectors can benefit from these incentive measures, including local value-added processing of Namibian minerals, fish and agricultural products, which are currently exported largely in raw form.

In July 2004 the President of the Republic of Namibia, His Excellency Dr Sam Nujoma, signed an Investment Protection Agreement with the People’s Republic of China, ensuring that investments in Namibia by the Chinese business sector in particular are protected.