Frontier Markets: Namibia

Namibia’s fortunes may be about to change dramatically, as recent surveys have shown its offshore geology could rival the biggest oil discoveries of recent years. But even without its oil prospects, Namibia has quietly established itself as an attractive investment destination. A recent Bloomberg Markets study placed Namibia among the world’s 20 most attractive emerging markets from an investment standpoint.

 
 
Source
Central bank

Bank of Namibia

International Reserves

USD 2.1 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 13.8 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 2971 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
6.4% 6.1% 0.6% -0.9% -0.1%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 5,726.7 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 11,228.8 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total

0.02% (2019, estimate)

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 7.2% 
  • industry: 29.3% 
  • services: 57.7%

(2018 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
3.4% 6.7% 6.1% 4.3% 4.8%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate

N/A

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
39.9% 42.6% 41% 45.8% 49.2%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-7.9% -8.6% -4.7% -4.9% -5.5%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: Ba1

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated 2017)

Market value of publicly traded shares

N/A

Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -0.3 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-2.1 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

38.7% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.03% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.02% (2015)

Total exports

USD 4.2 billion (2016 estimate)

Export commodities

Diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, white fish and mollusks

Total imports

USD 6.9 billion (2016 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Exports - major partners

N/A

Imports - major partners

N/A

FDI inflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 801 million USD 432 million USD 1,078 million
FDI outflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 13 million USD 58 million USD -55 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2012 2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 108 out of 190 countries (2017)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 170 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 98 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 174 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 62 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 81 out of 190 countries

Trading Across Borders: 127 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 74 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 67 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 124 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 97 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

84 out of 138 countries

(2016-2017)

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 81 / Score: 61.85 (Moderately free) (2016)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+1

Total area

824,292 sq km

Capital

Windhoek

Currency

Namibian dollars (NAD)

Government type

Presidential republic

Languages

Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4% (common language of most of the population), Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages

Religions

Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%

Total population
1990 2000 2010* 2015* 2021*
1.4 million 1.8 million 2.1 million 2.3 million 2.5 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
17.9% 25.1% 32.4% 50%
Population median age

21.4 years

Population growth rate

1.91% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

64.4 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 81.9% 
Male: 79.2% 
Female: 84.5%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

29.6% (last available estimate, 2015)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

59.1 (last available estimate, 2015)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 3

Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 6.9%

Mobile: 112.7% (2018)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

51 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Windhoek: 204th (2019)

CO2 emissions

1.65 metric tons per capita (2014)

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