France and Namibia

Bilateral relations

France and Namibia’s bilateral relationship is excellent. It builds on the commitment made in 1980 by France to support SWAPO’s struggle for independence. President Hage Geingob made an official visit to France in November 2016 to develop trade and investment ties with France.

Bilateral trade is modest. Our exports total around €20 million per year subject to major increases in the event of large contracts. These figures do, however, need to be examined carefully, as certain products exported to Namibia are registered as being exported to South Africa. Our imports amount to around €120 million per year, and include mainly uranium and agricultural products.

From 1991 to 2004, France was the 5th leading donor to Namibia, with €70 million in funds, technical assistance and project aid. Bilateral cooperation is today led by the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre (CCFN), a bi-national institution inaugurated in 1991, which ensures the promotion of the French language, Francophonie, and the French and Namibian cultures in all of their expressions. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has been active in Namibia since 1998.

^{Updated: 20/04/2017}