Safe and hospitable, Namibia is a land of mystery and intrigue which captures the imagination with the beauty and diversity of its age-old landscape.
A geologist’s paradise, Namibia is scattered with fossils and unique minerals, giving one the feeling of stepping back in time, to the moment of creation. Namibia was first inhabited by the ancient Khoi-San hunter-gatherer clan, who are the oldest descendants of the first Homo sapiens. Their early lives are forever captured in Africa’s largest collection of rock art paintings in Twyfelfontein. The harshly beautiful terrain has meant that all creations have had to adapt and as a result, the flora and fauna are capable of withstanding harsh and varying climates. The surreal landscape of endless ochre coloured sand dunes which tower over scattered trees and wildlife, contrasted against the crisp blue hues of the South Atlantic Ocean – make this dreamlike country a must on every travelers list; but more recently finding itself on the lists of international traders and investors as a result of stringent growth plans to sustainably utilize its vast resources.
The Republic of Namibia is a southern African country on the South Atlantic Ocean which shares borders with Angola, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. A former colony of both Britain and Germany and later under the control of South Africa, the Namibian War of Independence welcomed an Independent Namibia born on 21 March 1990.
Namibia has relations with many countries as part of its foreign policy as a member state of the UN, SADC, the AU and the Commonwealth of Nations.
The ancient lands are some of the oldest inhabited lands on earth as they were home to tribes of San hunter-gatherers.
Namibia has a population of 2.1-million people and a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy. Agriculture, herding, tourism and the mining industry – including mining for gems, diamonds, uranium, gold, silver, and base metals – form the backbone of Namibia’s economy. It is the second least densely populated country in the world following Mongolia.
Welcome to Namibia
It gives me great pleasure to introduce this beautiful production – Best of Namibia, a magnificent publication which showcases the best in travel, lifestyle and business in Namibia.
Given its geographical location in many respects, especially its transportation infrastructure and integration with regional markets, Namibia is undoubtedly a strategic gateway to the fast developing markets of southern Africa – let alone its political stability, which is the hallmark of its socioeconomic development.
All industry in Namibia has been proudly built with bricks of democracy, and its launch-pad is thus, credited to our policy of inclusivity in ensuring that the functioning mechanisms of democracy remained welloiled – a mantra greatly valued and highly guarded by Namibians and acknowledged by many others.
This first edition of Best of Namibia certainly creates a proud moment for Namibia – to see its successes profiled in a legacy project, as part of the globally renowned Best of series.
We continue to earn our place on this global platform as very few others can boast of the vast natural beauty and resources which Namibia is endowed with and is famous for.
The visual showcase presented here is second only to viewing the real spectacle of the country in person. The stable investment climate is highly favourable, owing to our proud position as a peaceful country.
It is my hope that this publication will give its readers what Namibia and its people have to offer in order to better understand the wide range of opportunities that exist in this land of wide open spaces and contrast – Namibia, the boutique country.
I am therefore, delighted to be associated with Best of Namibia, as this publication is putting our country on show in a way that has never been done before, with each sector being accounted for and the players in each industry captured through moving imagery and their personal story.
I am thus, excited to introduce the first ever compilation of this kind in our country and hope that Best of Namibia will become a good ambassador of Namibia.
Enjoy!
HON. DR HAGE G. GEINGOB,
Prime Minister of the Republic of Namibia
Fast Facts
Full Name: Republic of Namibia
Capital: Windhoek
Motto: Unity, Liberty, Justice
National Anthem: Namibia, Land of the Brave
President: Hifikepunye Pohamba
Prime Minister: Dr. Hage Geingob
Area: 825,418km2 (318,696 sq mi)
Regions: Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa.
Population: 2,108,665 (2009 estimate)
Main Language spoken: English
Recognised National Languages: Herero, Rukwangali, Silozi, Setswana, Damara/Nama, Afrikaans, German, Oshiwambo
Main Religions: Christianity 90%, Indigenous 10%
Main exports: Diamonds, uranium, zinc, copper, lead, beef, cattle, fish, karakul pelts, grapes
Natural Resources: Diamonds, uranium, zinc, gold, copper, lead, tin, fluorspar, salt, fisheries, and wildlife
Monetary unit: Namibian Dollar (NAD)
Namibia at a Glance
HISTORY
Although the written history of Namibia is relatively recent, the land itself is steeped in ancient significance. Considering that approximately three-quarters of global human history is unaccounted for, Namibia’s lands have preserved numerous accounts of ancients times – through fossils, the Petrified Forest site, and most notably… Read more…
GOVERNMENT
Namibia is a presidential representative democratic republic, with the president being elected to a five-year term as both the head of state and the head of government. Executive power lies with the Cabinet while the legislative rests with Parliament, which is bicameral, the National Assemblyand the National Council. The judiciary is… Read more…
THE LAND
At 825,418 km2 (318,696 sq mi), Namibia is the world’s thirty-fourth largest country (after Venezuela). It lies mostly between latitudes 17° and 29°S (a small area is north of 17°), and longitudes 11° and 26°E. Read more…
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Namibia has over 300 days of sunshine per year as a result of being situated at the southern edge of the tropics – the Tropic of Capricorn cuts directly through the middle of the country. Winter is from June to August and is mostly dry while the rainy season is in summer (the small rains occur between September and November… Read more…
THE PEOPLE
Namibia is a rich and diverse melting pot of different cultures, which speak of its varying history. The country has the second-lowest population density of any sovereign country, after Mongolia, with the majority being black African – mostly of the Ovambo ethnicity. Ovambo people form about half of the total… Read more…
ECONOMY
The Namibian economy has a modern market sector (which creates the majority of the country’s wealth) as well as a traditional subsistence sector. The economy is closely linked to South Africa’s… Read more…
TOURISM
One of Namibia’s major contributors to GDP is tourism (14.5%) and in turn, it accounts for 18.2% of all employment through serving over one-million tourists a year. As one of Africa’s prime destinations…
Namibia History
Although the written history of Namibia is relatively recent, the land itself is steeped in ancient significance. Considering that approximately three-quarters of global human history is unaccounted for, Namibia’s lands have preserved numerous accounts of ancients times – through fossils, the Petrified Forest site, and most notably, through its famed rock art. Namibia’s archaeological evidence stretches from about 3-million years ago and is one of the longest sequences recognised. As a result, the majority of Namibian history is unaccounted for in written works considering that humans have inhabited these lands for hundreds of centuries; leaving archaeologists attempting to document as much as possible.
Rock art is possibly the most visible relic of prehistoric times – specifically in southern Africa. The art of the Apollo 11 cave in the Karas region is considered as some of the earliest art found in Africa, dated to between 25,500 – 23,500 BC. Situated in the Huns Mountains of south-western Namibia, these caves were home to seven slabs of rock depicting animal figures. The spectacular Brandberg mountain, rising to 1900m above the surrounding dunes, houses one of the largest collections of rock art in the world with over 43,000 paintings at over 1000 sites. Rock art is a major tourist attraction in Namibia, resulting in the famed Twyfelfontein site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, receiving over 30,000 visitors a year.
The name of the country is derived from the Namib Desert, considered to be the oldest desert in the world. The area was first known as German South-West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika), then as South- West Africa, which highlighted the colonial occupation of Germany and South Africa – the latter as a dominion state of the British Empire – before Namibia’s independence in 1990.
In 1884, the country became a German Imperial protectorate and remained a German colony until after World War One. The League of Nations mandated the country to South Africa in 1920 and imposed its laws as well as South Africa’s apartheid policy from 1948.
The UN took direct responsibility over South-West Africa in 1966 after uprisings and resistance from African leaders. The South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) was recognised as the official representative of the Namibian people in 1973 but stayed under South African administration. After internal resistance intensified, South Africa introduced an interim administration in Namibia in 1985, which lasted until Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990.
Namibia Government
Namibia is a presidential representative democratic republic, with the president being elected to a five-year term as both the head of state and the head of government. Executive power lies with the Cabinet while the legislative rests with Parliament, which is bicameral, the National Assembly and the National Council. The judiciary is independent. Constant scrutiny is given to Namibia’s management of the rule of law and the observance of basic human rights.
Branches: Executive President, Prime Minister
Legislative: Bicameral
Parliament: National Assembly and National Council
Judicial: Supreme Court, the High Court, and lower courts
Sub-divisions: 13 administrative regions
Registered political parties: SWAPO, Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF), Congress of Democrats (COD), Republican Party (RP), National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO), Monitor Action Group (MAG), Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), South West African National Union (SWANU), All People’s Party (APP), Democratic Party of Namibia (DPN), Namibia Democratic Movement for Change (NDMC)
Suffrage: Universal adult
The Capital
Windhoek lies in a basin between the Khomas Highland, Auas and Eros Mountains at 1,680 metres above sea level, 650km north of the Orange River and 360km from the Atlantic seaboard. The City is perfectly situated at the epicentre of Namibia, making it the ideal capital with obvious trade and administration benefits due to its accessibility. The effect on tourism is also notable as it is the focal point for the beginning of any journey and the main entry point to exploring the country by air or road.
Windhoek has a population of about 300,000 which makes it a very small capital by worldwide standards. The city centre is astonishingly clean and generally safe.
Windhoek is home to Namibia’s brewing industry, and it isn’t difficult to find a cold beer. There are also a number of private hospitals, a state-run hospital, doctors’ surgeries, banks, (with 24hr ATMs) pharmacies, supermarkets, bakeries, and clothing stores. Maerua Mall is a large shopping centre which has a gym and indoor swimming pool. There is also the smaller Post Street Mall at the Town Square as well as at Wernhill Park. There are also two industrial areas: Northern and Southern.
Namibia’s progress since Independence is evident in Windhoek through the presence of new offices and expanding building and commerce industries.
Windhoek is the social, economic, and cultural centre of the country. Most national enterprises have their headquarters in Windhoek, as well as The University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia, the country’s only theatre, all ministry head offices, and all major media and financial entities.
Economy of Namibia
The Namibian economy has a modern market sector (which creates the majority of the country’s wealth) as well as a traditional subsistence sector. The economy is closely linked to South Africa’s as a result of their shared past. The largest economic sectors are mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism.
The banking sector is highly developed and boasts modern infrastructure, including Online Banking and Cell phone Banking. The central bank is The Bank of Namibia (BoN). There are four commercial banks authorised by BoN: Bank Windhoek, First National Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank.
There are several legislative policies in place to alleviate poverty and the high unemployment rate. Such as the labour act which protects employees from job discrimination arising from pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. The Government tender board announced in 2010 that 100% of all unskilled and semi-skilled labour would be sourced locally.
Namibia’s formal economy is sophisticated in that it is highly capitalintensive and farming focused. It relies on export profits in sectors such as minerals, livestock, and fish. The majority of the country’s imports come from South Africa.
A free-market economy has been actively pursued by the government since independence. The hope is that these principles will aid job creation and commerce growth and thus allow Namibians access to the mainstream economy. This has been done through the courting of foreign donors and investors with a nudge from the liberal Foreign Investment Act of 1990.
The economy is actively integrated in the region and is supported through a number of trade partnerships. As part of the Common Monetary Area (CMA), Namibia is partnered with Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa. As a result, the South African rand and the Namibian dollar are legal tender in Namibia.
Considering the minimal domestic market, Namibia is located favourably in the region as a transport base. Together with the strong communications base, Namibia is at the forefront of advocating economic regional integration. Other partnerships include membership in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) with South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland – and allows for tariff free movement of goods. Located in Windhoek, SACU has a Trade, Investment and Development Co-operation Agreement (TIDCA) with the United States, and also is negotiating free trade agreements with China, India, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Namibia aims to move away from its reliance on South Africa and to diversify imports and trade. Namibia supplies a large portion of fish and meat to Europe, and has also purchased mining machines and equipment in concessions from the UK, Germany, Italy, the US, as well as Canada.
Economic breakdown:-
- GDP (2009): $9.4-billion (World Bank); • Annual growth rate (2009): 1% (World Bank);
- Per capita GNI (2009): $4,338 (World Bank);
- Average annual inflation rate (2010): 4.5% (Namibia Central Bureau of Statistics);
- Natural resources: Diamonds, uranium, zinc, gold, copper, lead, tin, fluorspar, salt, fisheries, and wildlife;
- Agriculture (2009): 5.1% of GDP (livestock and meat products, crop farming and forestry – Namibia Central Bureau of Statistics);
- Mining (2009): 10% of GDP (Gem-quality diamonds, uranium, zinc, copper, other – Namibia Central Bureau of Statistics);
- Fishing and fish processing on board (2009): 3.6% of GDP (Hake, horse mackerel, lobster, other – Namibia Central Bureau of Statistics);
- Trade: Major partners are South Africa, Angola, European Union (EU), U.S, Canada, China, and India (WTO);
- Exports (2010): $5.71-billion (diamonds, uranium, zinc, copper, lead, beef, cattle, fish, karakul pelts, and grapes);
- Imports (2010): $5.14-billion (foodstuffs, construction material, manufactured goods).
Mining
Mining provides Namibia with 35% of its revenue and is the biggest economical contributor. The country is also the fourth largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa. Namibia is renowned as a primary source of gem-quality diamonds from its rich alluvial deposits, which gave birth to Namdeb (jointly owned by the Namibian government and De Beers who have recently sold to ANGLO American). The dip in Diamond mining pre-2010 has rebounded, with nearly 1.5-million carats being recovered in 2010.
Namibia holds around 10% of uranium oxide production world-wide and as a result is the world’s fourth-largest producer of uranium with two uranium mines in operation. There are plans to open two or three new uranium mines in the next five years, which would essentially double production, putting it on track to become the largest exporter by 2015.
The other main mineral resources are zinc, copper, lead, gold, fluorspar, salt, manganese, tungsten, tin, granite and marble, with semiprecious stones mined on a smaller scale. Extraction of offshore gas deposits in the Atlantic Ocean is planned in the future.
Electricity generation mainly comes from thermal and hydroelectric plants, as well as a small mix of non-conventional methods. The country plans to build the first nuclear power station by 2018 as a result of the rich uranium deposits with uranium enrichment planned to happen locally.
In 1974, natural gas was discovered near the mouth of the Orange River and is thought to hold over 1.3trillion cubic feet in reserves. Known as the Kudu Fields, the government changed the ownership structure in 2009. Namibia leased large areas for oil prospecting in the years after independence. These areas included onshore and offshore. There are currently around eight companies searching for oil and gas in Namibia. With a well-developed framework and legislature in place, Namibia will be able to continue governing the oil business accordingly.
Agriculture
Half of the Namibian population is dependent on agriculture for employment and subsistence for their livelihood, even though only 1% of Namibian land is arable. Some of the food produced is still imported, such as meat and fish products. The GDP per capita is five times that of the poorest countries in Africa but most Namibians live in rural areas and live on subsistence farming, mostly in the communal lands of the north. This has resulted in Namibia having a very high income inequality rate as the urban economy contrasts directly with an almost cash-less rural economy.
Several enterprises are to be privatised in coming years in the hope that interested foreign investment will be generated. Wildlife conservation is one of the fastest growing areas of economic development in Namibia and is vital for the unemployed rural population in particular.
Livestock ranching is the primary agricultural sector in Namibia including cattle, karakul sheep and goat farming. Main crops include millet, sorghum, corn, and peanuts. Table grapes are a crop of growing importance as they have become commercially viable and provide seasonal labour.
Fishing
Namibia’s coastline is met by the South Atlantic Sea and as a result of its clean and cold waters is one of the most abundant fishing grounds in the world. The potential sustainable yields are up to 1.5-million metric tons per year. Sardines, anchovy, hake, and horse mackerel are the main species but there are also smaller numbers of sole, squid, deep-sea crab, rock lobster, and tuna. The Namibian Government is pursuing a conservative resource management policy along with an aggressive fisheries enforcement campaign, which has seen an increase in fish stocks. Namibia is a signatory of the Convention on Conservation and Management of Fisheries Resources in the South-East Atlantic (Seafo Convention) and part of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) program, which sustainably manages the shared marine resources of Namibia, Angola and South Africa.
Trade and Investment
Namibia may seem to be a remote country, but has seaports, airports, highways, and railways. The country aims to become a regional transportation hub as it is perfectly positioned with a key seaport and several landlocked neighbors. The Central Plateau is a major transportation corridor to South Africa.
Namibia Infrastructure
Namibia’s infrastructure is some of the best on the African continent and is also currently seeing a number of upgrades and expansions to its harbours, airports, railways and roads.
Once complete, the Namibian government hopes to make the country an economic hub in Africa with facilitating trade between the continent and Europe. It is foreseen that an increased mutual flow of trade between SADC countries and Namibia will take root in the years to come. The development of Namibian infrastructure is vital to the country’s trade status. Namibia also boasts highly developed energy and water network infrastructure as well as advanced postal and telecommunications systems.
Shipping
The main export outlet, Walvis Bay port, one of two in Namibia and the only deepwater port, has seen a great increase in trade recently and is packed to capacity as a result. It handles over five-million tonnes of cargo per year and over 20 percent of that is containerised. One mitigating factor was the closure of Luanda’s port in Angola, which began repairs. Walvis Bay is one of the preferred entries in the SADC region due to its accessibility to neighbouring countries and lowered transport time. From port entry, containers are transported by the three arteries, Namibia’s Trans-Kalahari, Trans- Caprivi and Trans-Kunene Highways, to Botswana and South Africa. Walvis Bay also has the main concentration of the country’s fishing infrastructure.
Walvis Bay port is currently under expansion after Namport announced in 2009 that they would be spending N$3-billion on the upgrade. The plan is to deepen the harbour from 12.8m to 14.5m in order to increase capacity. A new quay is also under way with a capacity to handle 500,000 containers (TEU), as well as a waterfront with shopping malls and allocation for private beachfront properties. The project is expected to be complete in 2016.
Landlocked SADC countries such as Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia, have been given the opportunity to lease land at Walvis Bay for their own dry-port facilities, which allows for cargo transport and increased trade throughout the region. This falls in line with the ideals of a SADC common market and the free trade area. Zambia and Botswana have seen the value in trans-shipment from Namibia as it’s far shorter. Branches of The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) have opened in Johannesburg and Lusaka. These market the regional Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi and Trans-Kunene corridors for transport and logistics.
Lüderitz is Namibia’s second port and has also seen increased activity as a result of the rise in the fishing industry. The extensive upgrade of Lüderitz began after an N$85- million investment from government, as part of the Namibian Port Authority fouryear modernisation plan for the two ports which had a collective budget allocation of US$77-million. This included the addition of quays for larger ships and cruise ships, as well as the modernisation of cargo handling facilities. There is a third harbour planned for Mowe Bay, which is north of Walvis Bay, and would serve the fishing fleet.
Air transport
Air transport is vital to Namibia’s economy and the country boasts world-class civil aviation facilities, with Air Namibia, a Trans- Namib subsidiary, as the national carrier. There are over 135 airports and 22 have tarred runways. The international airport is just outside of Windhoek. Coupled with the upgrade of Walvis Bay, is the upgrade of Walvis Bay Airport which included the lengthening and widening of the runway, as well as the upgrade of air traffic systems and instrumentation. This provides for large cargo airplanes as well as commercial airplanes up to the B737-200 series.
Walvis Bay Airport is one of only a handful of airports in the region to have specialised landing instrumentation technology which allow movements in any weather. There are now direct flights between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Walvis Bay on Air Namibia and SA Express.
Major airports also include Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop which are both equipped for wide-bodied aircraft. Air Namibia has domestic scheduled flights to Lüderitz, Mpacha, Ondangwa, Oranjemund, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Windhoek. International destinations include Cape Town, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Luanda, Maun and Victoria Falls. There is now also a direct flight between Windhoek and London Gatwick, connecting in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Road transport
Namibia boasts an extensive road transportation network which is well maintained. The vast network reaches over 64,800km. A tarred highway system of 4,600km connects the majority of the country’s economic hubs with the SADC neighbours. The main arteries are the Trans- Caprivi, Trans-Kalahari and Trans-Kunene Highways which were long-haul projects finished at the end of the 1990s and run through to Botswana and South Africa. These two roads have elevated Namibia’s position as a seaport country which is able to provide sea access to its landlocked neighbours.
Rail transport
Trans-Namib operates the railways in Namibia. There has been a recent extension project of the northern railway from Tsumeb to the Angolan border. The German colonial rule established the 2,382km rail network which saw an urgent upgrade from the middle of the 1990s. Rail in Namibia transports millions of tonnes of freight every year and over 100,000 passengers and recent years have seen more investment and improved services. The national railway network links throughout Namibia and to South Africa. There is an improvement in a new link between Aus and Lüderitz.
Energy
National energy supplier NamPower is responsible for generating, transmitting and supplying a grid network linked to all major urban areas. Off-grid electricity and renewable energy is vital to economic growth. Namibia has always been a net energy importer and obtains half of its electricity from South Africa. The large Namibian mining industry is a major energy consumer and commercial energy is created from imported oil and coal. The national electricity grid is being used to connect most of the larger population areas. The Kudu gas field offshore is being drilled by Shell after exploration found large gas reserves, making Namibia the next major net exporter of energy.
Water
Water is a precious resource in Namibia and NamWater oversees bulk supply to local authorities. There are a number of large dams in Namibia which supply surface water, as well as the abundant source of the Orange River which is used to supply large agricultural developments.
Telecommunications
The telecommunications infrastructure in Namibia is one of the most advanced in Africa. It provides digital and direct dialling facilities in communications including internet, fax, telex, PABX, ISDN and video conferencing. The two cellular service providers are MTC and LEO and have a network reach of most urban centres and along national roadways. There is one fixed line provider, TELECOM Namibia. The WACS landing point is in Swakopmund.
Post
The largest physical infrastructure network in Namibia is Nampost. Services include efficient postal services, savings bank facilities, money transfers, and counter automation.
Media
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) provides access to media in Namibia, national TV, and radio coverage. Namibia has access to DStv satellite network and upholds a free press. There are a number of independent newspapers, radio stations and a television network. Namibia enjoys wide coverage of media and wide availability of media vehicles, such as televisions and radios.
Banking
There are four major commercial banks operating in Namibia, including one central bank, one development bank and Nampost Bank.
