Namibia Embassy Berlin -

A land known for its variety, Namibia provides the world with a diverse range of products including: the highest quality gemstones, the widest range of seafood, premium meat products, beer brewed according to ancient purity laws in the German "Reinheitsgebot" tradition , exquisite suede and soft leather and an assortment of hand-crafted chocolates. Namibia’s import and export environment is trader friendly. Its banking facilities are of first-world standard and are supported by superb road, rail and telecommunication infrastructure, not to mention a resource pool of IT professionals.
Completion of major regional road networks, the Trans-Kalahari and Trans-Caprivi Highways, has transformed the port of Walvis Bay into a major player in international trade. Namibia is now the logical choice for importing and exporting goods into and out of the southern African region.
Chances are that you have probably sampled some of Namibia’s wide range of export products such as our meat or fish or you have invested in a Namibian diamond without even knowing it.
Our aim is to introduce you to Namibia, and its variety of quality export products.

Namibia has one of the largest selections of precious stones and other mineral products in the world, ranging from diamonds, gold, uranium, lead and copper to natural gas and industrial minerals.
Namibian diamonds are unrivalled in both size and quality, making these stones highly prized in the world market. Other quality gemstones found in abundance include such favourites as amethysts, topaz, rose quartz and especially tourmaline, which is particularly sought after by jewellers for its versatility, brilliance and myriad of colours. Garnets, dioptase and the more common but extremely variable agate are also fashioned into a wide range of stylish and contemporary jewellery, including necklaces, rings, pendants and brooches.
The local jewellery industry is well established and is supported by a high-tech cutting and polishing industry, producing jewellers and goldsmiths that are renowned for their unique and creative craftsmanship.
The skill and creativity used to combine indigenous gems and metals result in jewellery that is distinctly Namibian. The pieces produced are artistic, lively and masterly crafted.
Namibia’s marble is renowned world-wide and is quarried to supply spectacular cladding and interior materials for the local and international building industry. Some 250,000 tons of patterned and coloured stone is quarried annually using sophisticated machinery and extracting techniques. The much sought-after blue sodalite, found only in the Kunene region of Namibia, and nowhere else in the world, is employed to sophisticated effect by architects and decorators globally.

Namibia’s leather is of the highest quality due to the grazing habits of the free-range and hardy cattle, sheep, game and ostriches, seasoned by a harsh land and toughened by an unrelenting climate.
Karakul pelts are in demand by top designers due to its satiny sheen and markings which resemble watered silk and is a natural side-effect of the sheep roaming through the Namibian veld. Raw pelts are exported and used by international furriers for the production of high-fashion items such as coats, jackets and waistcoats. Hides processed into Wet Blue are also in large demand for making furniture upholstery.
A burgeoning leather design industry also exists in Namibia itself, producing garments and accessories such as handbags, belts and other gift items that compete in style and quality with the best in the world. For the most part, cattle leather is used, but there is also a budding industry involved with the production of the more exotic leather products, like ostrich leather with its distinctive lumpy texture, or crocodile and leguan leather that can be used to make a variety of products that range from wallets to boots.

Namibians have raised traditional woodcarving to the heights of fine art. Hauntingly beautiful sculptures are carved from the roots of indigenous trees, capturing the spirit of Namibia and its wildlife. Other products include traditional drums, intricate tables and hand-carved animal statues with a unique Namibian motif.

Internationally, Namibia has gained a growing reputation for its hand-woven Karakul-wool carpets with their distinctive designs, colours and softness. These exquisite export items are another testimony to the artistry of the Namibian people, incorporating the essence of their land into masterful designs, worthy of international acclaim.

Embroidery work done in Namibia has, like the other local crafts, a distinct flavour recognisable anywhere in the world. The fabric used for items such as tablecloths, cushions, bags and blankets is 100% cotton and the design themes centre, for the most part, around the fauna and flora of the vast and varied landscapes of the country.
Other speciality hand-crafted items are dolls clothed in full traditional Herero dress, a style developed from 19th century costume which continues to find full expression in modern-day Namibia.

Basketry is a traditional craft that has found its niche in a modern market. Considered by many as a true art form, Namibian hand-made baskets are unique in terms of design and beautifully serve both practical and decorative purposes.

Namibia’s fishing industry ranks among the world’s top 10 – in the same league as Spain, Canada and Norway. This is due to the rich fishing grounds that abound along the country’s 1,500 kilometre-long coastline, whose marine produce is harvested by a flourishing fishing and fish-processing industry.
Some of the more common fish available in quantity for export are horse mackerel and hake. Namibian horse mackerel contains only three to eight percent body fat, making it both healthy and highly nutritional as well as a vital staple food source for many nations. Hake products are of superb quality and increasingly in demand for the catering, and retail markets.
The orange roughy is another of Namibia’s marine delights. This fish, often referred to as the ‘diamond of the sea’, is an extremely rare, high-priced addition to Namibia’s exports in this sector. Only commercially exploited in 1994, Namibia has become the world’s second largest supplier of this delicacy.
Other marine exports include rock lobster; crab; oysters; kabeljou; monk; tuna; pilchards and seaweed.

The quality of Namibian meat is globally unrivalled. Cattle are free-ranging and naturally fed. Namibian beef is free of hormonal or other additives and thus fit to grace any table. The country’s meat exports already enjoy preferential access to the European Union market.
To promote and increase the continued acceptance of Namibian meat on world markets, the Farm Assured Namibian Meat Scheme (FAN-Meat) has been developed to give consumers the assurance that any meat bearing the FAN-Meat logo is naturally produced, conforms to the highest standards and is safe and healthy.

A total of nine beer brands are brewed in Namibia, using old traditions combined with modern brewing technology. Each brand has its distinctive characteristics, ensuring that all the demands of the industry’s consumer base are met.
Technology has, over the years, improved brewing skills, but a commitment to traditional purity has remained. Over the past 78 years, Namibian beers have been brewed according to the requirements of the German Purity Law "Reinheitsgebot", using imported raw materials. This, the oldest food law, is still in existence today, and it stipulates that only barley, malt, hops and water may be used in the brewing of high quality beers. Namibian beers are therefore free of additives, colourants and preservatives.
Among the export brands, Namibia’s best-known beer, Windhoek Premium Lager, is low in alcohol, with a refreshing taste. Windhoek Export is slightly stronger with a distinct hops bitterness as well as a full, rounded flavour. The alcohol content in Windhoek Special is somewhat higher, while Windhoek Light -which is approved by the Heart Foundation of South Africa -has a balanced flavour of malt and fine hops, and an alcohol content of approximately 2% by volume.
Tafel Lager appeals to a broad spectrum of beer drinkers. Also produced are draught beer and Urbock, which is a traditional bock beer. Holsten Premium Beer is brewed under licence from Holsten Brauerei in Hamburg, Germany.
In recent years the schnapps range has been expanded to include the "fruity elite" with brand names such as Stoertebeker Pflaume, Feige, Pumpelmuse, Apfel, Waldbeere, as well as Stoertebeker Klarer, Weizenkorn and the well-known "Rittmeister".

Namibia is gaining a growing reputation as a supplier of quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Asparagus, grapes, dates and melons are commercially produced on an expanding scale. Namibian table grapes reach the European markets four weeks ahead of traditional suppliers, and asparagus can be harvested all year round.

The handcrafted chocolates produced in Namibia originated with the Springer family in Germany, who passed on their secret chocolate recipes from father to son. This perfected the chocolatier’s skill as well as the quality of the products. Superior quality Namibian chocolates have already found a niche in the premium sub-regional chocolate market.