“Namibia’s Energy Inflection: How Strategic Choice Can Turn Gas, Sun and Wind into Shared Prosperity”
According to Fausto Mendes, engineer and energy infrastructure expert, Namibia stands at a unique strategic crossroads: between its vast gas, solar, and wind resources and the need to turn this wealth into shared prosperity, the country has the opportunity to become a major player in the regional and global energy economy… By Fausto Mendes*
Namibia stands at a rare intersection of opportunity and decision. With glaring discoveries offshore, extraordinary solar-and-wind resources on land, and a domestic imperative to turn wealth into well-being, the question is less “if” but “how”.
Recent data show we are not just spectators to change.
Namibia ranked 1st in Africa in the 2025 Greenfield FDI Performance Index — a sign of investor appetite. At the same time, the mining-power-renewables nexus is reshaping our economy, one headline of October 24 2025 states “Renewable energy is transforming how mines operate, how workers are trained and how communities benefit.”
And yet, opportunity remains contingent. A recent Reuters story (Sep 11 2025) revealed that Namibia is building a sulphuric-acid plant to support rising output of uranium, copper and manganese — commodities essential for the global energy transition.
Transforming Namibia’s energy prospects into broad-based prosperity demands we move beyond discovery headlines. Here’s how:
- Revenue & Export Dynamics: Offshore oil & gas, plus hydrogen and renewables exports, offer foreign-exchange inflows and sovereign revenue streams. but to avoid the resource curse, transparency and strong institutions must be built now.
- Jobs & Skills-Transition: Solar farms, wind farms, hydrogen electrolyzers, acid plants — these are high-skill and mid-skill job opportunities. Domestic content policies must be enforced, so Namibian workers fill them, not only foreign fly-in talent.
- Industrialisation & Value-Addition: It’s not just energy – it’s the next step: chemicals, refining, mineral processing, ammonia, green hydrogen derivatives. Namibia must grasp the downstream linkages.
- Social Inclusion & Local Impact: Energy growth must translate into clean water, rural electrification, education, and health services. Otherwise, growth remains extractive, not transformative.
Strategic decisions ahead:
- Fast-track grid and port infrastructure (Walvis Bay/Lüderitz) to handle new generation and exports.
- Implement robust local-content laws now rather than later.
- Launch technical training programs tied directly to energy projects.
- Enforce environmental and social-license benchmarks to prevent community backlash (see recent hydrogen project withdrawal).
- Design revenue uses with transparency, allocate a portion of future royalties to education, rural development, and renewable-access funds.
Namibia can become a major player in the regional and global energy economy. But only if the approach is coherent, inclusive and strategic. The prize is not just energy exports — it is a richer economy, more jobs for our youth, thriving communities and a leadership role in the world’s sustainable-energy future.
I believe that our generation in Namibia faces one of the most significant windows in decades. The choices we make today will determine whether this becomes a windfall for the few or a transformation for the many.
* Fausto Mendes is engineer and Global Project Manager, expert in oil, gas, and infrastructure, PMP® certified, leads remote teams and advises on energy and industrial development.
