Namibia will on Monday dispatch its first export consignment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), marking a historic step in the country’s integration into Africa’s single market.
The launch, scheduled for 30 June in the port city of Walvis Bay, will be officiated by International Relations and Trade Minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, a ministry spokesperson announced on Saturday.
The shipment signals Namibia’s operational entry into the AfCFTA framework, which aims to create a unified market of over 1.3 billion people with a combined gross domestic product exceeding US$3.4 trillion.
Signed in March 2018 and entered into force in April 2019, the AfCFTA is a flagship initiative of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and has been operational since January 2021.
It seeks to eliminate tariffs on 90 percent of goods, reduce non-tariff barriers and promote intra-African trade, industrialisation and regional value chains.
Namibia ratified the agreement in 2019 and gazetted its tariff offer in December 2024, enabling it to trade under AfCFTA rules.
The country’s first consignment will be shipped through the Port of Walvis Bay, a strategic logistics hub for southern and central Africa.
The shipment is seen as a strategic milestone that will unlock new opportunities for Namibian exporters, particularly in agro-processing, manufacturing and logistics.
It is also expected to boost economic diversification and job creation.
Namibia joins a growing number of African countries actively trading under the AfCFTA’s Guided Trade Initiative, which aims to demonstrate the agreement’s practical benefits and accelerate its full implementation.
JN/APA