Namibia’s reliance on the importation of perishable goods is one of the large-scale investment opportunities Windhoek-based fund manager EOS Capital is seriously considering, senior partner Ekkehard Friedrich has told Namport.
Replying to a question about which sectors EOS would be “most enthusiastic about”, Friedrich said it would most likely be import substitution of agricultural goods.
He added that this was particularly important given the country’s sparse population spread out over vast distances.
“Any goods that are not easily or economically transported lend themselves quite well to local production. Our country is typically a net importer of manufactured goods, and we’d like to see that change.”
Having initially established its foothold through a general private equity fund, EOS eventually also launched an infrastructure fund and was in the process of fundraising for an agriculture fund, Friedrich said.
“Agriculture is very much an import substitution play here. Namibia is traditionally a net importer, and perishable goods are particularly expensive due to high transportation costs. We are therefore looking at import substitution for a variety of agricultural produce.”
He added that investments in agriculture also tended to create a lot of jobs, “and so with our agricultural fund, we are considering the impact perspective as well as financial returns.”
