Namibia and Angola Launch Bi-National Commission to Boost Trade
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and President Joao Lourenco established a Bi-National Commission in Luanda to deepen economic cooperation in energy, water, and transport.
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Angolan President Joao Lourenco co-chaired the inaugural session of the Angola-Namibia Bi-National Commission in Luanda on October 20, 2026. The two leaders established the commission as a formal mechanism to oversee political, economic, social, defense, and security cooperation, signaling a shift from historical liberation solidarity toward shared economic prosperity.
During the state visit, the two nations signed eight cooperation instruments covering energy, water, transport, trade, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, culture, and sports. Key infrastructure priorities include the Baynes binational hydropower project, the extension of the Cafu Canal into Namibia, and the commissioning of permanent pumping stations at Calueque. To reduce transport costs, the leaders agreed to establish a one-stop border post and a railway extension linking Oshikango, Namibia, and Santa Clara, Angola.
President Lourenco offered Angola's technical expertise in water storage dams and canals to help both nations combat severe droughts affecting southern Angola and northern Namibia. In an address to the National Assembly of the Republic of Angola, President Nandi-Ndaitwah advocated for regional integration, highlighting the importance of Angola's integration into the SADC Free Trade Area and the pursuit of the African Union's Agenda 2063. She also expressed Namibia's support for Angola's upcoming 2027 general elections.
