Zambian business mission in Namibia

A 12-strong Zambian business delegation arrived in Namibia this week to establish relationships with Namibian companies.

The visiting group is made up of businesses dealing with products such as rice, fruits and vegetables, seeds, canned food, confectionery, pharmaceutical products and many others. The delegation will have a mini-exhibition today at the Safari Conference Centre in Windhoek, and will also have a series of one-on-one meetings with identified businesses.At a press briefing hosted by the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) on Wednesday, Tulimeyo Kaapanda-Ausiku, Namibia Regional Trade Programme (NRTP) Manager, said these are big corporations in Zambia who are already exporting to other countries in the region and beyond.”Before this mission, a market survey has been carried out in Namibia to principally establish demand for Zambian products such as refined sugar, chitenge cloth, canned vegetables and fruits, maize and other cereals, seeds, cassava, molasses, vegetables, cotton, maheu drink and UHT milk,” said Kaapanda-Ausiku.This expedition is expected to boost trade between the two countries, as Zambian exports to Namibia of the targeted products are currently very low.In 2004, exports of all these commodities to Namibia from Zambia totalled US$353 000.”This shows Namibia is not a key market for Zambian exports of these commodities accounting for zero per cent of total Zambian exports.Zambia only accounted for two per cent of total Namibian imports of these commodities meaning that it is not an important source of supply.”Outside of sugar and oilseeds, trade is also inconsistent with imports reflecting in one or two years across a five-year period,” she said.Kaapanda-Ausiku said there were a number of product categories where Zambia has strong export potential that corresponded with strong Namibian imports where Namibia is sourcing from countries other than Zambia.The challenge for Zambian exporters, she noted, was to break into a market that has traditionally been completely dominated by imports from neighbouring South Africa.All vegetables, cereals, seeds, molasses from Zambia are imported duty-free.However, the importers will have to pay 16 per cent VAT, while about 85 per cent of imports into Namibia from SADC countries are duty free.”There has been a strong response from the Namibian business community especially in sugar, kapenta, fruits and vegetables and seeds, and we strongly urge the more Namibian businesses to engage in business discussions with Zambian exporters,” states Kaapanda-Ausiku.The delegation will have a mini-exhibition today at the Safari Conference Centre in Windhoek, and will also have a series of one-on-one meetings with identified businesses.At a press briefing hosted by the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) on Wednesday, Tulimeyo Kaapanda-Ausiku, Namibia Regional Trade Programme (NRTP) Manager, said these are big corporations in Zambia who are already exporting to other countries in the region and beyond.”Before this mission, a market survey has been carried out in Namibia to principally establish demand for Zambian products such as refined sugar, chitenge cloth, canned vegetables and fruits, maize and other cereals, seeds, cassava, molasses, vegetables, cotton, maheu drink and UHT milk,” said Kaapanda-Ausiku.This expedition is expected to boost trade between the two countries, as Zambian exports to Namibia of the targeted products are currently very low.In 2004, exports of all these commodities to Namibia from Zambia totalled US$353 000.”This shows Namibia is not a key market for Zambian exports of these commodities accounting for zero per cent of total Zambian exports.Zambia only accounted for two per cent of total Namibian imports of these commodities meaning that it is not an important source of supply.”Outside of sugar and oilseeds, trade is also inconsistent with imports reflecting in one or two years across a five-year period,” she said.Kaapanda-Ausiku said there were a number of product categories where Zambia has strong export potential that corresponded with strong Namibian imports where Namibia is sourcing from countries other than Zambia.The challenge for Zambian exporters, she noted, was to break into a market that has traditionally been completely dominated by imports from neighbouring South Africa.All vegetables, cereals, seeds, molasses from Zambia are imported duty-free.However, the importers will have to pay 16 per cent VAT, while about 85 per cent of imports into Namibia from SADC countries are duty free.”There has been a strong response from the Namibian business community especially in sugar, kapenta, fruits and vegetables and seeds, and we strongly urge the more Namibian businesses to engage in business discussions with Zambian exporters,” states Kaapanda-Ausiku.