Namibia

Republic of Namibia

English Namibian Dollar (NAD) Mixed: Roman-Dutch law, common law, customary law
AU, SADC, SACU, AfCFTA, Commonwealth, WTO

Namibia is a resource-rich, upper-middle-income country with one of Africa's highest GDP per capita levels. The economy is driven by mining (uranium, diamonds, zinc, gold), fishing, tourism, and agriculture. Namibia is the world's third-largest uranium producer.

The country is positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen, with the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project (a $10 billion investment) planned for the Tsau Khaeb National Park. The Walvis Bay port is a key logistics hub for Southern African trade. Namibia benefits from its membership in SACU (common customs area with South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini) and has the Namibian dollar pegged at par to the South African rand.

Namibia's New Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework (NEEEF) aims to promote economic inclusion. Challenges include high inequality (one of the world's highest Gini coefficients), unemployment above 33%, and a small domestic market.

SnapshotIndicatorsCountry FactsFocus SectorsTradeRegulations & TaxesBusinesses (103)

Snapshot

Population~3.1 MWorld Bank, 2025
GDP (current USD)$15.1 BWorld Bank, 2025
GDP per Capita$4,876World Bank, 2025
GDP Growth1.73%World Bank, 2025
Inflation (y/y)~3.51%World Bank, 2025
Repo rate (Bank of Namibia)7.75%Central Bank
Unemployment19.29%World Bank, ILO modelled estimate, 2025
Internet Use~64.87%World Bank, 2024
Electrification~56.00%World Bank WDI
CPI Score (Rank)49.0/100 (#59)Transparency Intl
HDI (Rank)0.615 (#139)UNDP HDR
Credit RatingMoody's: B1 (Positive), Sep 2025Fitch: BB- (Stable), May 2026Long term foreign currency, checked 6 Nov 2026
MarketNamibian Stock Exchange (NSX)

World Bank Indicators Compare with another country

GDP (current USD)$15.1 BWorld Bank, 2025
GDP growth (annual)1.73%World Bank, 2025
GDP per capita (USD)$4,876World Bank, 2025
Population, total3.1 MWorld Bank, 2025
FDI net inflows (USD)$1.4 BWorld Bank, 2025
Inflation (consumer prices)3.51%World Bank, 2025
Unemployment (% labour force)19.29%World Bank, 2025
Internet use (% of people)64.87%World Bank, 2024
Trade (% of GDP)108.58%World Bank, 2025

Climate Readiness Full ranking

57out of 100
Established
Climate adaptation readiness for Namibia, from 5 of 5 measured indicators.
Energy access5656.0% · 30% weight
Governance readiness4949 / 100 CPI · 20% weight
Human readiness620.615 HDI · 20% weight
Economic readiness69$4,876, 2025 · 15% weight
Digital readiness5353.0% · 15% weight
This scores climate adaptation readiness (adaptive capacity), following the readiness dimension of the ND-GAIN framework, from five measured indicators scaled 0 to 100. It does not measure emissions or physical climate vulnerability. Energy access is the most climate-specific of the five; the others cover governance, the economy, human development and digital readiness. The economic sub-score is relative to the African countries we cover.
How this is computed

Adaptive capacity to absorb climate finance and adapt, following the readiness dimension of the ND-GAIN framework, from measured indicators only. It is not a measure of emissions or physical climate vulnerability.

  • Energy access (30%): World Bank, access to electricity (% of population). The single most climate and energy specific signal held: SDG 7 and the clean-energy transition.
  • Governance readiness (20%): Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index (0-100). ND-GAIN governance readiness: the capacity to govern and deploy climate finance. Higher is cleaner.
  • Human readiness (20%): UNDP, Human Development Index (0-1). ND-GAIN social readiness: the adaptive capacity of the population.
  • Economic readiness (15%): World Bank, GDP per capita (current US$), latest measured year. ND-GAIN economic readiness: the capacity to finance adaptation. Scored relative to the covered set.
  • Digital readiness (15%): World Bank, individuals using the Internet (% of population). Information systems for early warning and adaptation.

A country is scored only when at least 4 of the five indicators are held. Sub-scores are weighted and renormalised over the indicators that are present; nothing is estimated for one that is absent.

Country Facts

CapitalWindhoek
RegionSouthern Africa
CurrencyNamibian Dollar (NAD)
FX RegimeFixed peg to ZAR (NAD = ZAR at par)
Stock ExchangeNamibian Stock Exchange (NSX)
Investment Promotion AgencyNamibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB)
Legal SystemMixed: Roman-Dutch law, common law, customary law
Time ZoneAfrica/Windhoek

Focus Sectors

Mining (uranium, diamonds, zinc)
Fishing
Agriculture
Tourism
Manufacturing
Energy (green hydrogen potential)
Logistics (Walvis Bay port)
Financial Services
Construction
Retail

Trade

Exports $8.02B (2024)

39.2% to other African countries

Top export partners

China
22.8%
South Africa
15.5%
Botswana
12.1%
Belgium
8.8%
Zambia
6.3%
Spain
3.3%
USA
3.2%
Netherlands
2.7%
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
2.7%
France
2.4%

Top export products (HS 4)

Diamonds, whether or not worked, but not mounted or set
14.6%
Uranium or thorium ores and concentrates
13.5%
Radioactive chemical elements and radioactive isotopes (including the fissile or fertile chemical elements and isotopes)
10.6%
Gold (including gold plated with platinum) unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form
10.2%
Fish
4.7%
Copper; refined and copper alloys, unwrought
4.5%
Copper; unrefined, copper anodes for electrolytic refining
4.3%
Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced)
4.1%
Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude
3.6%
Copper ores and concentrates
2.6%

By HS chapter

Natural, cultured pearls 24.9%Ores, slag and ash 20.5%Inorganic chemicals 12.6%Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates 9.7%Copper and articles thereof 8.9%Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation 3.8%Salt 2.0%Fruit and nuts, edible 1.7%Animals 1.7%Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors 1.5%

Imports $9.27B (2024)

50.5% from other African countries

Top import partners

South Africa
39.0%
China
10.7%
Zambia
3.9%
United Arab Emirates
3.4%
India
3.2%
USA
3.2%
Peru
2.5%
Germany
2.3%
Oman
2.2%
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
1.9%

Top import products (HS 4)

Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude
14.7%
Copper ores and concentrates
3.7%
Vehicles
3.0%
Nickel ores and concentrates
2.6%
Electrical energy
2.2%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles
2.0%
Aircraft n.e.c. in heading no. 8801, except unmanned aircraft of heading 8806, (e.g. helicopters, aeroplanes)
1.8%
Cobalt oxides and hydroxides
1.6%
Machinery parts
1.4%
New pneumatic tyres, of rubber
1.2%

By HS chapter

Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation 17.3%Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors 11.2%Ores, slag and ash 8.5%Vehicles 7.7%Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof 6.0%Iron or steel articles 3.0%Inorganic chemicals 2.6%Plastics and articles thereof 2.4%Fertilizers 2.3%Ships, boats and floating structures 2.1%

Source: CEPII BACI (version 202601, updated 22 Jan 2026), Etalab 2.0 (licence). Goods only, HS 2022, current USD, 2024. Aggregated by allbusiness.africa.

Regulations & Taxes

Corporate Income Tax32% standard (mining: varies by mineral)
VAT / Sales Tax15% standard

Tenders

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Interpretation Services: English -> French & Portuguese 30 Nov - 1 Dec in Namibia

ILO

Contract Awards

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Supply and delivery of ACSR Tern Conductor: Auas-Kokerboom II 400kV Transmission Line

Government of Namibia (World Bank-financed, project P177328)

Development of Namibia’s Sectoral Transformation Investment Plan (s-TIP) for the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Industrial Decarbonization Programme (IDP) - Head of Impact & ESG / Interim Head of Lega

Government of Namibia (World Bank-financed, project P515159)

Development of Namibia’s Sectoral Transformation Investment Plan (s-TIP) for the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Industrial Decarbonization Programme (IDP) - Project Administrator

Government of Namibia (World Bank-financed, project P515159)

Development of Namibia’s Sectoral Transformation Investment Plan (s-TIP) for the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Industrial Decarbonization Programme (IDP) - Senior Environmental Officer

Government of Namibia (World Bank-financed, project P515159)