STAFF WRITER
Export earnings from Namibia’s table grapes have surged to N$1.29 billion, recording peak earnings of N$815.4 million in the period to December last year alone.
This was said by the Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Asipala-Musavyi while engaging with the business community in the !Karas region on the potential presented by the country’s participation in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) last week.
She said the rise in earnings from Namibian grapes marked a dramatic rise from just N$7.7 million in the same period the previous year.
“Today, Namibia ranks 17th globally in table grape production. This Global Reach includes The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Germany, accounting for over 70% of exports of our grapes,” she said.
Ashipala-Musavyi said most of the grapes were produced primarily in The Aussenkehr Valley in ǁKaras region.
The farming community in the area produced over 33,000 metric tones of grapes annually, she said.
“ The sector supports thousands of seasonal jobs and has improved logistics through Walvis Bay and Cape Town, enhancing export efficiency. Grapes and dates are listed among Namibia’s high-value crops with competitive advantage under the AfCFTA Implementation Strategy (2022–2027),” said.
The Minister said for Namibia to fully benefit from the AfCFTA, she needs to invest in trade facilitation and logistics infrastructure, harmonisation of standards and SPS measures Market intelligence and branding for African consumers and Support for value-added processing and packaging.
“ Our engagement on this glorious afternoon is an initiative of the Ministry in collaboration with MIME, to reach out to local businesses and SMEs in all our 14 Regions.
“Therefore, this consultation is meant to foster a conducive business environment and enable the ministry to hear directly from businesses about their pain points, such as regulatory hurdles, market access and infrastructure deficits,” she said.
Ashopala-Musavyi said Namibia and Africa need to invest in creating an attractive youth work force.
She said the !Karas Region’s agricultural potential, particularly in livestock farming and irrigation-based horticulture offers opportunities for rural development and food security.
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