Namibia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in namibia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), an entity within the Office of the President, advises investors on procedures for entering the Namibian market and establishing a business.  NIPDB’s services include assisting investing companies with registration and facilitating applications for work permits.

To conduct business in Namibia, it is helpful (though not required) to have a local presence or a local partner.  It may be worthwhile to establish business relationships before tender opportunities are announced.  U.S. firms should seek local partners with a good reputation in their line of business or a complementary business.  The NIPDB can assist foreign investors and companies in identifying local partners.

The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) is a one-stop-center for all business and intellectual property rights (IPR) registrations and related matters.  In 2017, the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade (MIT) launched NamBizOne, a single-window information portal to guide domestic and foreign investors on the administrative and legal requirements to invest, start, and run a business in Namibia.  This portal includes guidance on submitting an investment proposal, incorporating one’s business, registering for tax and social security purposes, and applying for all relevant licenses.  In October 2022, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPBD) rolled out the digital nomad visa program.  The program allows foreigners to work, travel, or study remotely in Namibia for up to six months.  In 2022, Namibia also launched its One-Stop Center (OSC) to streamline procedures and enable investors to conduct their businesses under one roof.  The center, which is housed within NIPDB is a single access point for information and services to investors and offers services including business registration, visa and work permit applications, tax registration, land and property acquisition, and information on fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.

 


 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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