Namibia must open its doors to investment. But opening the door does not mean handing over the keys to the house.
That is the important message behind President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s engagement with the international business community on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The President has made it clear that Namibia is open for investment, but investors must understand and comply with Namibian laws and regulations.
This is a message that deserves to be heard loudly at home, not only abroad.
As Namibians, we know what it means when decisions about our country’s resources affect ordinary people sitting in places far removed from the boardrooms where those decisions are made.
We know the frustration of seeing natural wealth leave our shores while communities continue to ask where the jobs, opportunities and tangible benefits are.
That is why the President’s position on the rule of law matters.
Namibia needs investment in oil and gas, critical minerals, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics and tourism.
These sectors can create jobs, transfer skills, grow local businesses and expand the tax base. The President has specifically identified these areas as opportunities for investment and industrialisation.
But investment must come with responsibility.
Our laws are not suggestions for investors to consider when convenient. They are the rules of the country. They exist to protect workers, communities, the environment, consumers and Namibia’s economic interests.
If a Namibian business must comply with labour laws, tax laws, environmental requirements and licensing conditions, a multinational company operating in Namibia must be held to the same standard.
There cannot be one rulebook for Namibians and another for those arriving with foreign capital.
This is particularly important as Namibia enters a new economic chapter.
The discoveries of oil and gas, the growing interest in critical minerals and the country’s ambitions in green energy have placed Namibia firmly on the radar of international investors.
We should welcome that interest. But we must also learn from experience across Africa.
Resource wealth alone does not guarantee prosperity. What matters is whether countries have strong institutions, enforceable laws and the political will to ensure that economic activity produces broad national benefits.
And this responsibility does not belong to investors alone.
Government must also make the rules clear, predictable and consistently enforced.
There must be no selective enforcement and no special treatment because a company is large, foreign or politically influential.
A law that exists on paper but is not enforced is little more than decoration.
For ordinary Namibians, this is not an abstract debate about international investment.
It is about whether a young person from Katutura gets a meaningful job.
It is about whether a small business in Oshakati gets a chance to supply a major project.
It is about whether communities near mining and energy projects see development.
It is about whether Namibians acquire skills and ownership rather than remaining spectators while their country’s resources generate wealth for others.
Namibia should be ambitious in attracting investment. But we must never become desperate.
We are inviting investors because Namibia has something valuable to offer. In return, we expect investment that respects our sovereignty, our people and our laws.
Namibia is open for business. But Namibia is not open for business at any cost.
