By: Nghiinomenwa-vali Hangala
For the first four months of the year, Namibians have imported N$2.9 billion worth of food items, mostly sugar-related and cereal-related.
This is according to the monthly trade statistics for April 2026, as compiled by the Namibia Statistics Agency.
The data shows that from January to April 2026, the country imported between N$540 million and N$830 million in food-related items, highlighting the country’s food insecurity and its food processing inability.
The Statistics Agency has compiled a top five list of food-related imports for the year, highlighting the country’s food import dependence.
For the period under review, sugar and sugar confectionery dominated the import list with a share, while cereal and ‘meat and edible meat offal’ took the second and third positions.
Namibians have spent more than N$120 million monthly on sugar-related products and cereal imports for the first four months.
The top five imported food items accounted for the bulk of the basket during the months under review.
In terms of value, Namibia’s trade in food items has recorded a surplus due to fish and beef exports.
The country recorded a trade surplus on food items to the value of N$733 million.
The surplus on food items was mainly attributed to the export of fish and ‘meat and edible meat offal,’ which stood at N$1.6 billion and N$342 million, respectively.
Over the period spanning April 2025 to April 2026, Namibia’s overall trade on food items averaged a trade surplus amounting to N$537 million.
The highest trade surplus was N$1.1 billion, observed in January 2026, followed by December 2025 and July 2025 with N$869 million and N$792 million, respectively.
There were no trade deficits recorded since April 2025.
erastus@thevillager.com.na
