Chicken meat and offal market in Namibia

Earlier Report Observations

In 2018, the market for chicken meat and offal in Namibia stood at 30 699 t. That year, the country officially opened its market to U.S. poultry products, creating a new import channel. Market volume then contracted, falling to 25 867 t by 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions to the local poultry sector in 2020, altering trade patterns and increasing reliance on imports.

From 2021 to 2023, the market size continued to decline, reaching a low of 17 281 t in 2022 before a partial recovery to 19 675 t in 2023. This movement coincided with a substantial rise in exports, which peaked at over 30 000 t in 2022, reducing the volume available for domestic consumption.

By 2024, several regulatory and structural shifts were underway. Namibia lifted its ban on poultry imports from South Africa, reinstating a key regional supply route. A new domestic processor, Khadila Poultry, entered the market, expanding local production capacity. Additionally, new poultry meat standards were introduced and the Poultry Market Share Promotion Scheme was launched to influence market distribution and protect local producers.

Production chicken meat and offal in Namibia

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of chicken meat and offal, 2017-2020

World map of production of chicken meat and offal, 2017-2020

In 2019, Namibia's production of chicken meat and offal experienced its largest decline of 7.2%. However, production rebounded in 2020, reaching 11,737 tonnes, which represents a slight increase of 1.3% compared to 2019. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, overall production grew by 2.1%, with a compound annual growth rate of 0.7%. The peak production was recorded in 2018 at 12,484 tonnes, marking the largest increase of 8.6% during this timeframe.

Annual dynamics of production in Namibia in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports chicken meat and offal from Namibia

Exports in kind, t

Exports of chicken meat and offal from Namibia showed significant fluctuations between 2018 and 2020. In 2018, exports hit their lowest point at just 42 tonnes, representing the largest decline of 99.6%. However, there was a dramatic recovery in 2019, with exports surging by 49,082.1%. By 2020, exports reached 23,806 tonnes, which is 15.1% higher than the previous year. Overall, exports varied by 566-fold from the low in 2018 to the high in 2020.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Namibia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia dominated Namibia's exports in kind, together accounting for 82.0% of the total. The remaining exports were distributed across various other markets, though these flows were relatively minor.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Namibia in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

The value of Namibia's chicken meat and offal exports displayed volatility from 2017 to 2020. Exports bottomed out in 2017 and peaked in 2020, with a 1.9-fold difference between these years. In 2020, export value amounted to 21,900 thousand US dollars, showing a steep gain of 26.5% compared to 2019. The largest increase occurred in 2018 at 74.5%, while the largest decline was in 2019 at 12.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Namibia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During the 2017–2020 period, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia together accounted for 84.8% of Namibia's total export value. Other countries contributed to a diversified but less significant portion of the exports.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Namibia in value, 2017-2020

Imports chicken meat and offal to Namibia

Imports in kind, t

Imports of chicken meat and offal into Namibia exhibited irregular changes, indicating a volatile market. In 2018, imports fell to their lowest level at 18,257 tonnes, marking the largest decline of 32.5%. This was followed by a sharp increase of 92.1% in 2019. By 2020, imports stood at 37,936 tonnes, up by 8.2% from the previous year. Overall, imports varied by 2.1-fold from the low in 2018 to the high in 2020.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Namibia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Brazil, South Africa, and the United States were the main sources for Namibia's imports in kind. Brazil led with 35.8% of imports, followed by South Africa at 19.4%, and the United States at 13.2%. Together, these three countries represented 68.4% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Namibia in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

In 2019, Namibia's imports of chicken meat and offal in value terms recorded their lowest point at 29,287 thousand US dollars, with the largest decline of 17.5%. However, imports rebounded in 2020 to 34,238 thousand US dollars, indicating a substantial year-on-year gain of 16.9%. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, imports increased by 13%, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.1%. The peak value was in 2018 at 35,513 thousand US dollars, which saw the largest increase of 17.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Namibia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, South Africa, Brazil, and the United States formed the main cluster for Namibia's imports in value terms. South Africa accounted for 29.5% of imports, Brazil for 25.3%, and the United States for 14.2%. Collectively, these three markets represented 68.9% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Namibia in value, 2017-2020