President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has underlined the importance of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), describing it as a vital pillar in regional and global economic arrangements.
Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks during a meeting with the newly appointed Executive Secretary, Dumisani Masilela, and the SACU Secretariat.
SACU is the world's oldest functioning customs union, established in 1910. It consists of five member states: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia, the union enables the free movement of goods across borders with a common external tariff.
Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah noted the long-standing history of the customs union, highlighting its continuous evolution.
Namibia formally joined SACU shortly after gaining its independence.
"Our customs union is in good hands. We are always proud of SACU. SACU is the oldest, not one of the oldest, customs unions, which has been known since 1910, and we keep one to build it and see how it can also fit in the new economic arrangements, both on the continent as well as in the world, while continuing to save people," said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
SACU Executive Secretary Dumisani Masilela emphasised the need for SACU to adapt to the evolving global landscape to remain competitive and responsive to emerging challenges.
"We had some very fruitful engagements with the president. As the leader of the Secretariat of SACU, I take away Namibia's commitment to the regional integration arrangement. We discussed some very pertinent issues relating to the region itself in terms of integration. Key among those issues that we touched upon was the fact that with the dynamism that we are seeing in the global environment, every organisation or arrangement needs to reinvent itself from time to time. Currently, SACU is seized with an initiative to sort of reimagine itself."
Masilela also hinted at a possible summit meeting of member states at the level of the Heads of State later this year.
"We also touched on the strategy. SACU formulated and approved a strategy that covers the period from 2022 to 2027. It was supposed to have been reviewed at the midpoint. But there were some delays. But it has been reviewed now. And the report is going to be tabled in the upcoming meetings of the various institutions of SACU. I think the key meetings, well, let me say, the key thing about the upcoming meetings, which are going to be happening in June, is that we are expecting to host a summit, which is a meeting of the heads of state of the five SACU member countries."
Namibia's share of the SACU revenue pool for the 26/'27 financial year totalled more than N$24 billion, an increase from N$21.8 billion received in 2025/26.