Namibia oil, gas and minerals: local content

Summary

Namibia's offshore oil and gas discoveries have not yet reached production, and the government's upstream local content policy, approved in August 2026, has no published percentages and is not yet binding. On minerals, a 2023 ban on exporting unprocessed critical minerals pushes processing into the country. For builders, the opportunity is in supply and services, not in waiting for first oil.

Where do oil and gas projects stand?

Reporting in The Namibian in March 2025 quoted the Petroleum Commissioner saying Namibia should secure at least two final investment decisions (FIDs) by 2027 and that production was possible within five years. The same report said TotalEnergies had confirmed a delay in the Venus FID, that Venus output forecasts were revised from 160,000 to 150,000 barrels per day, and that production was expected by 2030, depending on investment and execution. In the Mopane complex, the Mopane-3X well confirmed light oil and gas-condensate, moving Galp closer to an FID.

That article is more than a year old. We did not open a source confirming an FID since, so assume none has been announced unless you see it from the operators. Treat all dates here as targets.

What does the local content policy say?

According to a Rio Times report dated 23 August 2026, Cabinet approved the National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy on 4 August 2026. It covers procurement, employment, skills development and technology transfer. It has not been gazetted, so it binds no operator yet, and it is a policy, not a regulation or a bill. The approved text had not been released and no procurement or employment percentages were published. The report said it was unclear whether the 51% Namibian-ownership and 30% previously disadvantaged ownership figures in the ministry's March 2025 draft survived. Walvis Bay and Lüderitz are named as candidate service hubs.

The Petroleum Commissioner has urged financial institutions to take calculated risks funding start-ups that supply materials, logistics and services, and argued that local capital adds more value and reduces reliance on international financing.

What are the openings for local suppliers?

• Logistics and port services at the two named hubs.
• Materials, equipment hire, fabrication and maintenance.
• Catering, accommodation, security and compliance services.
• Training and certification for technical trades.
• Data, inspection and reporting tools for operators' contractors.

These are our reading of what supply chains typically require, not a list from the policy. The binding detail will arrive with regulation, so register capability now through the NIPDB supplier database described in our investment guide.

What is the critical minerals rule?

In June 2023 Cabinet approved a ban on exporting unprocessed crushed lithium ore, cobalt, manganese, graphite and rare earth minerals. The minister keeps discretion to allow small quantities. The ban followed Zimbabwe's move on raw lithium and fits an African push to retain value through processing. The IEA's policy database describes the 2021 Mineral Beneficiation Strategy, which names lithium and graphite as pilot projects, aims to refine copper and zinc into pure metals in the country, and offers incentives for local processing of lithium, rare earths and uranium. A reform of the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act was in public consultation as of September 2025.

Uranium remains important in the near term. The Bank of Namibia's March 2026 outlook listed uranium mining as a key contributor among primary industries.

What are the risks and uncertainties?

Policy without numbers is hard to plan around. FIDs have slipped. Processing mandates raise capital needs that a small market may not finance on its own. Balanced analysis says both views have merit: local content can retain value, and over-prescriptive rules can raise costs for operators.

What should a builder do?

Choose services that sell to many industries so that one delayed decision does not end the business. Document quality and safety systems, since operators screen suppliers on them. Follow the gazette for the policy and the Minerals Act reform. Our guides on green hydrogen and Walvis Bay trade cover adjacent opportunities.

How we compiled this

Last verified: 30 October 2026. This is original analysis written from the public sources listed below. Figures are quoted as the source reported them and dated where they are older. Where sources disagreed or an official page gave no detail, we say so rather than fill the gap. Spotted an error? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it.

Sources

• The Namibian, "Namibia expects two final investment decisions in oil sector by 2027", 25 March 2025, https://www.namibian.com.na/namibia-expects-two-final-investment-decisions-in-oil-sector-by-2027/
• Rio Times, "Namibia local content policy oil gazette 2026", 23 August 2026, https://www.riotimesonline.com/namibia-local-content-policy-oil-gazette-2026
• The Brief, "Namibia bans export of unprocessed lithium and critical minerals", 9 June 2023, https://thebrief.com.na/2023/06/namibia-bans-export-of-unprocessed-lithium-and-critical-minerals/
• IEA Policies Database, "Mineral Beneficiation Strategy for Namibia", updated 25 September 2025, https://www.iea.org/policies/28962-mineral-beneficiation-strategy-for-namibia
• The Brief, "BoN forecasts 2.6% growth for Namibia in 2026", 13 April 2026, https://thebrief.com.na/2026/04/bon-forecasts-2-6-growth-for-namibia-in-2026/