NCCI pushes for Angola, SA exports

THE Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has stepped up its campaign to expand Namibian businesses into Angola and South Africa through the launch of the “Namibia and Angola: Trade Assessment” yesterday.

The report was compiled by the NCCI in conjunction with the Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (Nepru) and USAID. NCCI CEO, Tarah Shaanika, said he believed Namibia and Angola would soon sign a preferential trade agreement.”This year, we have decided in principle to concentrate our trade promotion efforts to the SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) region with particular emphasis on the Angolan and South African markets for Namibian manufactured products and services,” said Shaanika.”Namibia is by nature a small and an insignificant market if we are to build a manufacturing-based economy.But this does not prevent us from establishing profitable and competitive manufacturing and service based enterprises in this country.It simply poses a challenge to us as a nation, to identify lucrative export markets in which our products and services can successfully compete against products and services from other countries,” he said.He said the South African market can be exploited by taking advantage of niche markets scattered throughout the 43,2 million customers.Shaanika noted “the current negative trade balance between Namibia and its southern neighbour,” adding that N$42 billion worth of Namibia’s imports (83,5 per cent of Namibia’s total imports) come from South Africa while exports to South Africa total only N$12,3 billion or 30,1 per cent.To facilitate this year’s drive to increase export into South Africa, the NCCI is to help Namibian companies exhibit at the South African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) in October, amongst other smaller trade exhibitions, as well as identify business opportunities for Namibians in SA and inform local business people of SACU, SADC Protocol on Trade and other facilitating agreements in place to make exporting to SA easier.The main emphasis though will be on Angola.”We have done a great deal of work during the past two years or so in promoting business opportunities in this country (Angola) for Namibian businesses.So far, there are a good number of Namibian companies that have taken advantage of opportunities existing there,” he said.He said NCCI will organise the participation of Namibian businesses in trade exhibitions in Lubango in August, and Luanda in July .”The truth is that Namibia cannot afford to lose opportunities in Angola today for there will be no opportunities tomorrow,” he said.The Trade Assessment: Namibia and Angola, is a comprehensive information package to help Namibian exporters enter the Angolan market successfully and is available at all NCCI offices at N$50 for members and N$70 for non-members.NCCI CEO, Tarah Shaanika, said he believed Namibia and Angola would soon sign a preferential trade agreement.”This year, we have decided in principle to concentrate our trade promotion efforts to the SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) region with particular emphasis on the Angolan and South African markets for Namibian manufactured products and services,” said Shaanika.”Namibia is by nature a small and an insignificant market if we are to build a manufacturing-based economy.But this does not prevent us from establishing profitable and competitive manufacturing and service based enterprises in this country.It simply poses a challenge to us as a nation, to identify lucrative export markets in which our products and services can successfully compete against products and services from other countries,” he said.He said the South African market can be exploited by taking advantage of niche markets scattered throughout the 43,2 million customers.Shaanika noted “the current negative trade balance between Namibia and its southern neighbour,” adding that N$42 billion worth of Namibia’s imports (83,5 per cent of Namibia’s total imports) come from South Africa while exports to South Africa total only N$12,3 billion or 30,1 per cent.To facilitate this year’s drive to increase export into South Africa, the NCCI is to help Namibian companies exhibit at the South African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) in October, amongst other smaller trade exhibitions, as well as identify business opportunities for Namibians in SA and inform local business people of SACU, SADC Protocol on Trade and other facilitating agreements in place to make exporting to SA easier.The main emphasis though will be on Angola.”We have done a great deal of work during the past two years or so in promoting business opportunities in this country (Angola) for Namibian businesses.So far, there are a good number of Namibian companies that have taken advantage of opportunities existing there,” he said.He said NCCI will organise the participation of Namibian businesses in trade exhibitions in Lubango in August, and Luanda in July .”The truth is that Namibia cannot afford to lose opportunities in Angola today for there will be no opportunities tomorrow,” he said.The Trade Assessment: Namibia and Angola, is a comprehensive information package to help Namibian exporters enter the Angolan market successfully and is available at all NCCI offices at N$50 for members and N$70 for non-members.