Cabinet has approved, in principle, Namibia’s upstream local content policy, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah positioning it as a central tool to ensure the country’s oil and gas resources translate into jobs, skills and business opportunities for Namibians.
The President made the announcement on 15 April 2026 at the 8th Namibia International Energy Conference held at Droombos Estate in Windhoek, where she outlined government’s approach to managing the country’s emerging petroleum sector.
She said the policy, which follows extensive nationwide consultations, is designed to ensure that Namibians “participate meaningfully in the sector through skills development, employment creation, and enterprise growth”, as the country moves closer to first oil.
Nandi-Ndaitwah added that the objective is to ensure that the development of Namibia’s petroleum resources results in “tangible socio-economic benefits for all Namibians”, placing local content at the centre of the country’s oil development strategy.
The announcement comes at a time when Namibia is transitioning from exploration to development, following a wave of major offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin by international oil companies including TotalEnergies, Shell and Galp Energia.
The President said these discoveries confirm Namibia as a “proven and highly prospective petroleum province”, with the potential to drive economic transformation through increased revenues, infrastructure development, industrial growth and employment creation.
However, she cautioned that converting these resources into long-term value will require deliberate policy direction, institutional strength and disciplined management, noting that government’s focus is now on execution, timely project delivery and value realisation.
The local content policy forms part of a broader package of reforms aimed at strengthening governance and preparing the sector for production. These include the Petroleum Exploration and Production Amendment Bill currently before Parliament, which seeks to enhance transparency, provide regulatory clarity and safeguard national interests.
A key institutional shift has also been implemented, with the Upstream Petroleum Unit placed under the Presidency to improve coordination, accelerate decision-making and ensure policy coherence across government.
The President said Namibia’s approach to oil and gas development is anchored in its long-term policy frameworks, including Vision 2030 and the Sixth National Development Plan, both of which emphasise economic diversification, value addition and job creation.
She noted that the petroleum sector presents an opportunity to accelerate industrialisation, expand the country’s productive base and address unemployment, while stimulating linked industries across the economy.
At the same time, Nandi-Ndaitwah stressed that first oil should not be viewed as an end in itself, but rather as a milestone within a broader agenda of structural transformation, inclusive growth and sustainable development.
She said Namibia remains committed to maintaining a stable, transparent and predictable investment environment, while ensuring that the exploitation of natural resources contributes to national development and shared prosperity.
The policy direction outlined at the conference signals a shift in focus from discovery to delivery, with government moving to define how the benefits of the country’s oil and gas resources will be distributed as the sector enters its next phase.
