Prosper Ndlovu recently in WINDHOEK, Namibia
BY bringing Zimbabwean and Namibian businesses together to facilitate closer trade and investment synergies, the recent ZimTrade outward mission to Windhoek has demonstrated massive potential to turn longstanding bilateral relations into commercial partnerships, strengthening regional supply chains and advancing intra-African trade.
During the three-day deliberations, participants from the two states expressed desire to translate longstanding diplomatic relations into stronger commercial ties.
The mission, headed by the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Namibia and undertaken in collaboration with the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and the Namibia
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), brought together businesses, industry experts and government representatives to explore opportunities in agriculture, food processing, stockfeeds, horticulture, educational services, fast-moving consumer goods and logistics.
Through a Business Forum, business-to-business (B2B) meetings and company visits, the initiative sought to connect Zimbabwean exporters with Namibian buyers, distributors and potential commercial partners.
Its significance, however, extends beyond the immediate prospect of new contracts. It strongly demonstrates how targeted business engagement can help African economies diversify trade, strengthen production networks and reduce dependence on suppliers outside the continent.
In particular, the mission addressed a longstanding challenge in African economic relations – translating political goodwill and regional agreements into practical business transactions.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zimbabwe Ambassador to Namibia, Melody Chaurura, emphasised the need to convert bilateral relations into tangible economic cooperation.
“Our engagement today aligns very well with Zimbabwe’s foreign policy thrust, anchored on economic diplomacy,” she said, highlighting agriculture as an important area for information-sharing and partnership.
Representing Namibia’s Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Deputy Director of Trade Promotion, Mr Sakeus Kapenda, reinforced the need for stronger commercial outcomes.
“Our objective should be to ensure that strong relationships are increasingly reflected in the volume and diversity of trade, in investment and business partnership between our two sister countries,” he remarked.
These priorities are particularly relevant as African countries pursue greater economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Although trade agreements provide a framework for cooperation, businesses still need reliable market information, contacts, distribution networks and clarity on regulatory requirements to trade successfully across borders.
The mission helped address these practical barriers by enabling companies to meet prospective partners directly, assess market conditions and discuss the requirements for entering each other’s markets.
Namibia and Zimbabwe have complementary economic capabilities that could support greater bilateral trade. Zimbabwe has an established agricultural and agro-processing base, while Namibia offers access to regional logistics infrastructure, agricultural markets and established distribution networks.
In her remarks, Mrs Jacqueline Nyathi, ZimTrade’s manager for the southern region, highlighted Zimbabwe’s agricultural productivity and the opportunities for value addition and regional market development. “We have a climate that allows us to be highly productive in terms of agriculture, and agriculture being a backbone of our economy, you will note that there is quite a lot of agro-processing that is taking place,” she said.
For Zimbabwean exporters, Namibia offers an opportunity to diversify beyond established destinations and reach new buyers.
For Namibian companies, stronger commercial ties could widen sourcing options and create opportunities to develop partnerships with Zimbabwean producers.
NIPDB Executive for Market Access and Export Promotion, Mr Peter Shivute, pointed to existing trade flows as evidence of both established commercial links and the need to broaden the range of products exchanged.
“Overall, trade remained strongly export-led in 2025, with Namibia exporting far more to Zimbabwe than Zimbabwe exported to Namibia,” he noted, identifying frozen fish, petroleum products and semiconductor devices among Namibia’s exports to Zimbabwe.
The figures cited during the forum suggest that existing trade is concentrated in particular product categories. Hence the need for broadening the range of goods traded could help create additional opportunities for businesses in both countries, although this will depend on competitiveness, demand, logistics costs and compliance with market-entry requirements.
The mission’s practical value emerged through the experiences of participating companies, several of which reported making contacts and gaining information relevant to their expansion plans.
Mr Nicholas Chimbwedza, leader of the Midlands Sweet Potatoes Cluster, representing the Midlands Farmers Commodities Cooperative (MFCC), said engagement with Namibian stakeholders helped clarify the cooperative’s supply potential and the requirements for accessing the market.
“The Namibian market is interested in our products. I believe we will be able to supply it once we meet all the requirements,” he said.
For Davipel Holdings, the mission offered an opportunity to explore distribution partnerships and assess demand for its expanding stockfeed and food-processing operations. Commercial Executive, Lilian Matsika, said the meetings helped the company understand transport options, market competition and potential commercial partners, including Agra.
“ZimTrade has done its part by opening the doors,” she said, emphasising that the next step was to follow up with distributors and turn initial contacts into business.
Viazi Vitamu Brands, a young Zimbabwean start-up producing sweet potato-based foods, also identified opportunities in Namibia’s retail and nutrition markets. Co-founder and chief executive officer, Mr Tyrese Pombi said the mission had strengthened the company’s understanding of the market and generated interest in its products.
“We have seen that our products are a good fit for the Namibian market, and we have already received considerable interest and orders,” he said.
The company is also exploring opportunities linked to feeding programmes and the processing of locally available pearl millet. Such possibilities illustrate how trade missions can create connections beyond conventional buying and selling, extending into food processing, agricultural value addition and knowledge-sharing.
However, expressions of interest and prospective orders are not yet equivalent to completed trade. The commercial impact of the mission will depend on whether participating businesses secure the necessary approvals, agree on prices and delivery terms, establish distribution arrangements and maintain consistent supply.
Transport costs and regulatory compliance will be critical to turning these opportunities into sustainable trade.
Mr Edward Shivute, acting chief executive officer of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, described Namibia’s ambition to develop transport corridors into broader economic corridors that connect infrastructure with production, investment and commercial activity.
“Namibia, being a logistics hub, that’s what we are focusing on,” he said, explaining the importance of moving beyond the simple transportation of cargo towards wider economic cooperation.
For Zimbabwean businesses, access to efficient transport routes could improve the viability of supplying Namibia and potentially reaching other regional markets. For Namibia, stronger commercial connections could support the use of its logistics infrastructure and expand its role in regional trade.
Nevertheless, distance, freight charges, border procedures, sanitary requirements and product registration can undermine the competitiveness of otherwise promising exports. Businesses will need clear information and coordinated support to navigate these requirements.
Mr Alfeus Siyamba, acting chief executive officer of the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA), highlighted Namibia’s efforts to strengthen domestic agricultural production and its strategic food reserves, pointing to opportunities for cooperation in agriculture and food security.
These areas offer scope for practical partnerships in agricultural inputs, processing, storage, mechanisation and market development, provided collaboration complements domestic production priorities and responds to genuine market demand.
The mission largely offered a useful example of how bilateral initiatives can contribute to wider African economic integration. Rather than relying exclusively on formal agreements, the participating institutions brought businesses together to address the practical conditions required for trade.
ZimTrade’s participation in the Windhoek Agricultural and Commercial Show over the past three years has helped identify potential opportunities for closer cooperation, laying the groundwork for the mission. Its outcomes now depend on sustained engagement between the companies and institutions involved.
Mr José Matthews, seputy chairperson of NCCI, addressed the importance of maintaining business connections in his closing remarks, reinforcing the forum’s focus on continued private-sector engagement.
The broader lesson as the mission ended on Friday is that intra-African trade requires more than political commitments. It needs competitive products, dependable suppliers, efficient logistics, accessible market information, predictable regulations and businesses willing to invest in long-term relationships.
Should the contacts established during the mission lead to supply contracts, distribution agreements, joint ventures and expanded investment, Namibia and Zimbabwe could build a more diversified trading relationship while strengthening regional value chains.
For both countries, the opportunity is to turn a three-day programme into lasting commercial cooperation. For Africa more broadly, the mission illustrates how practical bilateral partnerships can help advance the ambitions of the AfCFTA: enabling African businesses to source, produce, process and trade more effectively across the continent.
