Staff Reporter
THE Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, has urged Japanese companies operating in Namibia to increase their local processing and manufacturing activities within Namibian borders, in order to create employment opportunities and facilitate skills transfer for Namibians.
She made these remarks during a meeting with Japanese business leaders from JOGMEC, Maruha Nichiro, and Keidanren. The meeting, held in Tokyo, Japan, focused on how Japanese businesses operating in Namibia can move beyond resource extraction and concentrate on value-added activities that would benefit Namibians.
ADVOCATING FOR INCREASED LOCAL MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES: Scenes from Selma Ashipala-Musavyi’s meeting in Japan. Photos: Ministry of International Relations and Trade
Prior to meeting with the Japanese business leaders, Ashipala-Musavyi held a high-level discussion with Japan’s Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi. During this meeting, she revealed that Namibia is currently home to around 54 Japanese companies, highlighting this as a “clear testament” to Namibia’s reputation as a stable and attractive destination for global investment.
“These investments are seen as crucial catalysts for the government’s goal of transforming Namibia into a regional industrial and logistics hub,” Ashipala-Musavyi said.
However, the minister noted that Namibia still requires strategic cooperation in several sectors, including mining, energy, fisheries, logistics, and digitalisation. She emphasised that these are areas in which Japan possesses significant global expertise.
According to the ministry, Motegi expressed a desire to further strengthen cooperation in order to enhance economic relations between Japan and Namibia, while also acknowledging Japan’s past development cooperation and Japanese companies’ interest in Namibia’s mineral and energy resources.
