NAIROBI – Namibia and Kenya have renewed calls for stronger intra-African trade and investment, with leaders and business executives urging African countries to stop relying heavily on foreign markets and instead build partnerships within the continent.
The renewed calls were made during the Namibia-Kenya Business Forum held in Nairobi on Wednesday last week, where Namibia’s Vice President, Lucia Witbooi, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui, government officials and private sector leaders called for practical investment deals between the two countries.
Speakers stressed that although Namibia and Kenya share a long history of political solidarity dating back to Namibia’s liberation struggle, economic cooperation between the two countries remains far below potential.
Vice President Witbooi said Africa can no longer afford fragmented markets and weak intra-African trade.
“The time has come for Africa to redefine this economic model. The future of Africa’s prosperity cannot depend solely on external markets and external solutions. It must increasingly be driven by African production, African innovation, African entrepreneurship, and African partnerships,” she told delegates.
Witbooi said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a major opportunity for African countries to industrialise and build regional value chains.
However, she warned that agreements alone would not transform economies unless governments and the private sector actively invest in productive sectors and cross-border partnerships.
She said Namibia and Kenya possess complementary strengths that could support economic growth across Southern and Eastern Africa.
According to Witbooi, Kenya has positioned itself as a continental leader in innovation, financial technology, logistics and agribusiness, while Namibia offers political stability, strong infrastructure, natural resources and growing opportunities in energy, mining, tourism and manufacturing.
“Together, our countries possess complementary strengths that can support industrial growth, regional value chains and sustainable economic development,” she said.
Witbooi also placed strong emphasis on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and skills transfer, saying Africa’s young population could become the engine of industrialisation if properly supported.
“Economic cooperation must not only be measured by trade volumes and investment figures. It must also be measured by the jobs we create, the industries we build, the skills we transfer and the opportunities we provide to young people, women and emerging entrepreneurs,” she said.
The Vice President further invited Kenyan investors to partner with Namibia in sectors such as mining, agro-processing, manufacturing, logistics and green energy.
She highlighted Namibia’s efforts to expand value addition in mining and develop logistics corridors centred around the Port of Walvis Bay.
Kinyanjui revealed that bilateral trade between the two nations stood at only US$6 million in 2025, a figure he described as disappointing considering the opportunities available in sectors such as agriculture, mining, technology, manufacturing, and tourism.
“I hope you heard that right, US$6 million. This number does not reflect the potential that exists between Kenya and Namibia. A single digit does not reflect what Kenya and Namibia can do,” he said.
Kinyanjui said African countries must now convert historical political ties into wealth and employment through trade, industrial partnerships, and investment.
He challenged business leaders attending the forum to move beyond business cards and handshakes and conclude concrete investment agreements.
“Let us move decisively from dialogue to deals, from potential to production and from goodwill to growth,” he said.
A major theme throughout the forum was the growing push for African-led economic solutions. Speakers repeatedly argued that African countries have for too long depended on Europe, the United States and Asia for investment, trade and industrial development while neglecting opportunities within the continent.
Kinyanjui said a shift in mindset was now taking place among African businesses and governments.
“In the past when we were looking for solutions in any sector, our first point of call was not within our African countries. But African businesspeople are changing this conversation. African solutions lie in Africa,” he said.
He pointed to ongoing discussions around establishing a major oil refinery in East Africa to serve the region as an example of continental self-reliance.
According to Kinyanjui, such projects would prove that Africa can build industries capable of meeting its own needs.
Agronomic board
Business leaders attending the forum also stressed the need for practical partnerships, especially in agriculture and food production.
Fidelis Mwazi of the Namibian Agronomic Board said Namibia was seeking investors and partnerships to help develop 162 000 hectares of agricultural land earmarked for commercial crop production.
“Our involvement in the business summit is more to promote and create awareness in terms of attracting potential investors into the value chain of the crop sector,” Mwazi said.
He added that discussions had already started around logistics and trade opportunities involving fruits and vegetables between the two countries.
Trade with Africa
Meanwhile, Namibian businessman and member of parliament Ephraim Nekongo said African countries must trade more with each other instead of relying on imports from outside the continent.
“We as Africans need to realise that we have ourselves to trade among ourselves. We need to ask ourselves what we import from other countries that we cannot also import from Africa,” Nekongo said.
Nekongo said Kalahari Holdings company which he is representing and operates in agriculture, transport and security, hopes to learn from Kenyan farming practices and build partnerships that can strengthen food security in Namibia.
He said one example was sourcing products such as honey from Kenya instead of importing from outside Africa.
“We want also to learn from the best practices of the farmers and businesspeople here in Kenya so that we can replicate that effect in Namibia,” he said.
