No second-hand clothing was imported into Namibia in December, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) trade report says.
The report shows that worn clothing and other worn textile articles only recorded an import of N$1 million in November and no imports in December.
The European Environmental Bureau reported that European Union (EU) exports of used clothes/textiles to Africa have nearly tripled in two decades, reaching 1.26 million tonnes in 2024.
The clothing was primarily sent from Italy, Germany, and Poland.
According to the bureau, 80% of those clothes are sold in informal African markets.
Key African destinations include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, and Togo.
In Namibia, Stop & Shop remains one of the largest informal markets for second-hand clothing.
“Worn clothing and other worn textile articles and motor vehicles (for commercial purposes) each recorded a downward revision of N$1 million,” the report reads.
However, the total value of imported commercial vehicles was N$533 million.
Statistician general Alex Shimuafeni says the total import bill for December was N$11.1 billion
Meanwhile, the export value stood at N$10.7 billion.
This is a 7.5% increase when compared to the export value recorded in November 2025.
“The export and import positions translated into an improved trade deficit of N$393 million,” Shimuafeni says.
He says Namibia was a net exporter (exporting more than it imported) of food with a trade surplus of N$870 million and a net importer (importing more than it exported) of beverages, having recorded a deficit amounting to N$203 million.
The commodity of the month was corrugated iron.
According to Shimuafeni, the country imported corrugated iron worth N$6 million, mainly sourced from South Africa and China.
On the export side, the country sold corrugated iron worth N$251 100 solely destined for South Africa.
South Africa also maintained the position of being Namibia’s top trading partner for both exports and imports.
In terms of goods, the country’s export basket for December 2025 was mainly composed of commodities from the mining sector such as non-monetary gold, precious stones (diamonds) and uranium.
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