Buying Local is Not a Crisis Response– It’s Economic Self-Defence

In 2020, as the world stood still and supply chains faltered, Namibia experienced a rare moment of national clarity. 

The ‘Buy Local, Grow Namibia’ campaign reminded us of something we often forget: we do have products worth buying, businesses worth backing, and producers capable of meeting real demands.

Many Namibians discovered just how much is already made at home, and how good it is. But more than five years later, the uncomfortable truth is that the “buy local” energy has faded

The stickers disappeared. The conversations quietened. The urgency dissolved. It feels as though supporting Namibian products was a pandemic trend rather than a long-term national commitment.

We cannot afford to treat local production as a crisis response. We should be proactive, deliberate and consistent.

POWER AND PRIDE

Movements inspire change, but systems sustain it.

It is easy to say “support local”. It is harder to create conditions that make local products competitive, visible and widely available.

Local producers often operate within an environment that makes it difficult to scale.

The real question is not whether Namibians are willing to buy local. It is: are we building an economy where local products can win on their own merit – in price, quality, consistency and availability?

A “buy local” mindset without a build local system becomes a cycle of frustration. Consumers want affordability. Retailers want reliable supply.

Producers want market access. Everyone wants growth, but the structure to sustain it remains thin.

The second phase must become the main phase

One of the strongest parts of the 2020 campaign was the plan for “phase two”: workshops on standards, barcodes, retail requirements, and preparing producers for broader markets.

It was not a side activity. It was the heart of sustainability.

If local products are to compete seriously, more producers must be supported to meet Namibia Standards Institute (NSI) requirements, secure proper product identification, improve packaging, and understand what major retailers need.

They are the basics of entering formal supply chains. It is how local businesses become permanent suppliers.

If we want “buy local” to last beyond campaigns, this capacity-building must become ongoing and nationwide, not occasional and limited to a few producers.

ENGINEERING DEMAND

Another lesson from 2020 is that demand does not automatically flow to local producers. It must be shaped and sustained.

Retailers have influence. They decide what is visible.

If the private sector truly believes in Namibia’s future, supporting local needs to be a long-term business strategy.

The public sector can play a powerful role by strengthening local supply chains through predictable purchasing.

Not as charity, but as economic design. If we want industries, we cannot leave demand to chance.

Buying local should lead to building industries at scale

Ultimately, Namibia cannot “buy local” into prosperity if local production remains small and fragmented.

We need to move from supporting products to building industries – industries that can manufacture, process, package, and supply at a level that consistently meets the nation’s needs.

This is where scaling matters: it is what lowers costs, improves quality, stabilises supply, and creates jobs in large numbers.

It is what turns a small producer into a national supplier, and a local product into a competitive brand.

Without scale, local production remains vulnerable. With scale, it becomes an economic pillar.

ADDING VALUE

Scaling also strengthens our ability to add value to what we have.

While the nation mines strongly, we still have significant room to grow in downstream processing where long-term jobs are created.

Exporting is vital, but we could shift from exporting minerals mainly as raw inputs to exporting more advanced, processed products.

Investing in local beneficiation – processing, refining and manufacturing linked to the mining sector – will help keep more wealth, skills, and jobs in Namibia.

Where ownership is not fully local, value addition becomes even more important to ensure Namibians benefit through industrial growth and employment.

This value-addition mindset should extend across the economy, not only in mining.

It is time to stop treating local production as a small side story

We need a strong economic backbone. We cannot continue importing most essentials and assume that the global and regional environment will always remain stable.

Reliance comes with risk.

When costs rise externally, we absorb the shock internally. When disruptions occur elsewhere, we feel them here.

When industries grow in other countries, jobs grow there not here. Building a sustainable buy-local culture is about economic protection.

It is about ensuring that local businesses become strong enough to carry the country through uncertainty.

CONSISTENCY

Our greatest challenge is consistency.

We rally during a crisis, then relax. We launch initiatives, then move on.

We celebrate local during campaigns, then return to business as usual.

If we are serious about a sustainable future, we should treat local production as a permanent national priority, one that is measured, strengthened, and supported beyond slogans.

“Buy local” should become an economic culture – visible in our retail spaces, supported through producer readiness, strengthened by consistent demand, and built into how we think about growth.

Encouragingly, Namibia has already seen what is possible.

With consistency, capacity and scale, we can build industries that create jobs, strengthen resilience, and compete beyond our borders.

The future is within reach but it needs to be built intentionally.

It will arrive when we commit to local production, not as a campaign, but as a long-term system.

• Sarah Goroh is an award-winning writer, youth advocate, project director, and involved in the African Union Commission Simulation Agenda 2063; charizmainspire@hotmail.com

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.