The President, H.E. Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on Friday officially opened the 2026 Swakopmund International Trade Expo (SWAiTEX), calling on trade exhibitions to deliver lasting business results.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said that over the past decade the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (NCCI) expo has provided a platform for trade, investment, innovation, enterprise development and market expansion in the coastal town.
“Trade exhibitions are far more than showcases of products and services. They are practical marketplaces where producers meet buyers, businesses test ideas, investors identify opportunities, and entrepreneurs build relationships that can become contracts, partnerships and create jobs, all of which are priority areas of our government,” she said.
Held under the theme “Powering Africa’s Next Economy: Innovation, Inclusion and Industrial Growth,” from 22 to 24 October, the expo reflects Namibia’s quest to build a diversified, inclusive, and competitive economy, the president said.
“We can either sell what we produce today, or build the capacity to produce more, process more, innovate more, and compete more effectively,” she added.
According to her, the country’s Sixth National Development Plan calls for a stronger shift from dependence on raw-material exports to higher-value production, beneficiation and the development of competitive industries.
She added that the National Trade Policy for 2023-2030 emphasizes export diversification, value addition, quality standards, trade facilitation and access to finance.
The president urged entrepreneurs to study the needs of emerging industries such as oil and gas, renewable energy, green hydrogen and rare earth minerals, to give meaning to the country’s local content policy once adopted.
Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted Namibia’s strategic location, noting that the Port of Walvis Bay and the Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi and Trans-Cunene corridors connect Namibian producers and neighboring landlocked economies to regional and international markets.
On continental trade, she said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a historic opportunity to expand intra-African trade, develop regional value chains, and support industrialization.
“For Namibia, the AfCFTA must become a practical route to market access for our farmers, manufacturers, service providers, creative industries and emerging entrepreneurs,” she said.
During her recent state visit to Angola, she and the Angolan president called on business leaders from both countries to cooperate. At the same time, their governments create an enabling environment to benefit from the AfCFTA.
The president also said some resolutions from the inaugural Namibia Public-Private Forum (NamPPF), held in October 2025, are being implemented, including granting qualifying investors a five-year business visa.
She invited business leaders and investors to the second NamPPF, scheduled for 25-27 November.
Nandi-Ndaitwah meanwhile commended the NCCI for sustaining SWAiTEX and helping it grow into a platform that connects local enterprises with investors, customers, and partners across the region and beyond.
