Expanding Horizons for Namibian Businesses
Can a bustling economy like that of Indonesia and a growing economy like that of Namibia become trade partners? The answer is that they already are. 99FM’s MYD Smart sat down with the counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Namibia, Pramudya Sulaksono, to find out what business opportunities are available to Namibians wanting to do business with Indonesia.
Mr. Sulaksono explains that “in 2014 950 thousand US Dollars’ worth of Namibian goods were exported to Indonesia.” What’s more the Indonesian embassy here in Namibia has plans to invite Namibian companies to Indonesia to look to increase this figure.
“Indonesia is the 4th biggest population in the world making competition high in Indonesia. Plus in Indonesia there is no government assistance for job creation and poverty eradication therefore Indonesians have to create their own opportunities. It is because of this that, just as the Indonesian government is inviting Namibians to Indonesia with the purpose of doing business there, so too is the Namibian government inviting Indonesian business people to come to Namibia and share their knowledge with Namibians.”
Right now Namibia is importing large quantities of Indonesian products to Namibia, however a large portion of this is still coming through South Africa, a situation that is hoped will improve as Namibia opens up the new Walvis Bay port and trade barriers to Namibia decrease.
When asked what type of products you’ll find from Indonesia in Namibia currently, Mr. Sulaksono explains that most of the paper products you’ll find in Namibia come from Indonesia, even if they have gone through South Africa to get here. In addition, shoe apparel companies such as Nike and Adidas are also products that are made in Indonesia. There are also Namibian companies such as Kornblum that are importing Indonesian furniture products to Namibia. Still other companies are importing fabrics to Namibia, that are being used to make items such as uniforms and school uniforms here. It’s clear that trade between the two countries is booming and positioned to grow even further.
Should you be a Namibian entrepreneur that is looking to grow your market and perhaps see your products in Indonesia one day, a smart move would be to speak to the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek who are actively looking to assist Namibian businesses to do business with Indonesia.
Get in touch with the Indonesian embassy in Namibia by calling +264-61-2851000