Episode notes
The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) is set to make its first-ever leather export under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), sending two containers of wet-blue hides from the Okapuka Tannery to Mombasa, Kenya.
The shipment marks a key milestone for both Meatco and Namibia’s push to strengthen its presence in Africa’s US$3.4-trillion (N$58.4 trillion) market. Trading under AfCFTA’s non-tariff provisions, the move is expected to boost intra-African trade and open more competitive regional opportunities.
Meatco’s interim chief executive, ambassador Albertus Aochamub, weighs in on the significance of this step, the opportunities it creates, and the challenges ahead for Namibia’s leather industry.