Beer, soft drink manufacturing increases

Three months before the festive season, an increase in the manufacturing of beer and soft drinks could be observed.

The Bank of Namibia (BoN) quarterly report shows that the manufacturing industry as a whole recorded positive growth year-on-year.

“Improvements were observed in the production of prominent manufactured products, such as blister copper, cement, soft drinks and beer,” says the BoN.

Blister copper recorded a growth of 49.2%, cement recorded a 2.2% increase, soft drink production increased by 6.6%, while beer recorded a 41.1% increase.

According to the BoN, the increase in beverage production was due to a higher demand and export volumes.

“The rise in blister copper production was largely on account of base effects, as fewer plant challenges were handled, relative to the same period a year earlier, while cement continued to benefit from improved export volumes during the quarter under review,” says the BoN.

However, on a quarterly basis, the production of blister copper decreased by 32.3%.

“On a quarterly basis, the performances of the above-mentioned manufacturing products were mixed. In this regard, the production of cement, beer and soft drinks increased. However, production of blister copper and of cut and polished diamonds decreased,” says the BoN.

Cut and polished diamonds decreased by 61.4%, over the same period, however, it remains one of the largest contributors to the economy.

Data from the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) gross domestic product report shows that manufacturing was the worst performing sector in the first three months of 2024.

The biggest decline in the manufacturing industry was seen in the diamond cutting and polishing sector.

In September last year, the manufacturing industry, which makes up 48.6% of total exports, experienced a decrease in exports of N$894 million.

According to the NSA, the industry was still the leader in exportsm, with goods valued at N$3.8 billion, despite the decrease.

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