The Namibia Potential

Greetings,

I wished to give some basic information concerning the country of Namibia and its potential for sustainable development. I am not a business professional or economist, but I am a Pan Africanist and I wish to see the Motherland and its indigenous people, which includes those of us who are of the Africa Diaspora, to prosper.

Basic Overview:

Nambia is located on the southwest corner of Africa. Once occupied by Germans in the early part of the 20th century, it was annexed by the South African government until 1988 after a 20 year guerrilla war that was fought by SWAPO (South-West Africa People's Organization). Nambia won its independence from the Apartheid era South African government in 1990.

Land:

The land is mainly arid desert. The Kalahari lies to the east and the coastal desert on its western shore. The percentage of arable land equals 0.99% and the amount of permanent crops in that area is only about 0.01% The exportation of minerals is the largest economic boon for international trade. Mining is the mainstay for the country's economic stability. Non-fuel based mineral products consist of diamonds, lead, tin, zinc,silver, tungsten, copper, and uranium. A deeper rendering of the natural resources of the area can be found here:

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/counprof/Namibia/namibia.htm

The main crops for the usable farm area are millet, sorghum, grapes, and peanuts. The main live stock consists of fish as well as cattle, and goats.


Economy

Mining accounts for 8% of the GDP for the country. It has been reported by "Businesweek" that: “Growth is expected to recover in 2010 from last year’s slump and gather momentum, driven by a rebound in the mining sector as the world economy picks up,” Norbert Toe, head of an IMF delegation concluding a two-week visit to the country, told reporters today in the capital, Windhoek.

The IMF’s previous forecast was 1.7 percent, according to the Washington-based lender’s website." (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-26/namibian-economy-may-grow-4-4-this-year-on-mining-update1-.html)

This could be an indicator that the country could become an economic powerhouse on the African continent over the next few decades should there be a constant up swing in GDP output.


One of the main challenges is how to maximize the use of arable land so that it can foster and sustain more people in the land despite arid conditions. Also, how can we in the Diaspora help in making the natural resources of the land more profitable for the indigenous people and perhaps partnering with them? There are much potential for the land, especially since it is rich in materials that allow for the creation of electronic components. Namibia is also taking bold steps in creating an IT infrastructure that perhaps can open up new economic avenues that may not have been realized before. Yes, there is great potential here, so the question is how we can help without disturbing their culture and being perceived as "dark skinned foreign intruders" trying to take over? There are many questions, but at least now we are armed with information that we can perhaps come up with intelligent solutions. I have included links to the sources I researched in order to bring you this offering of information.


https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/wa.html

http://www.npc.gov.na/vision/pdfs/Chapter_6.pdf

http://www.grnnet.gov.na/ (Link seem to be having trouble as of 8/24/2010)