WINDHOEK, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Namibian government remains committed to creating an environment where foreign investors can confidently establish and expand their operations, a senior investment promotion official said on Wednesday.
The remarks came after the release of the fDi Intelligence Greenfield FDI Performance Index 2026, which ranked Namibia second globally and first in Africa for attracting greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) relative to the size of its economy.
Catherine Shipushu, acting executive for competitiveness and branding at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, said the ranking highlights Namibia's growing competitiveness in the global investment landscape and reflects its ability to attract a disproportionately high number of international investment projects relative to its gross domestic product (GDP).
Greenfield FDI refers to investment in which a company establishes new operations in a foreign country rather than acquiring or expanding existing facilities.
"Namibia's strong performance demonstrates the country's increasing visibility and attractiveness as an investment destination," Shipushu said.
Namibia achieved an index score of 7.74, ranking behind the United Arab Emirates, which topped the global index with a score of 19.21.
According to fDi Intelligence, investor interest in Namibia has been driven by major offshore oil and gas discoveries in the Orange Basin, while the country's green hydrogen ambitions have positioned it as a potential hub for low-carbon energy development.
The report also attributed Namibia's strong performance to growing investor confidence in the country's economic prospects, supported by political stability, a strategic geographic location, a rich natural resource base, and emerging opportunities across priority sectors.
Namibia attracted 16 greenfield FDI projects in 2025, its second-highest annual total after the 19 projects recorded in 2024.
The Greenfield FDI Performance Index compares countries' shares of global greenfield FDI projects with their shares of global GDP, measuring how effectively economies attract new foreign investment relative to the size of their economies. ■