Namibia continues to export thousands of livestock on the hoof, with South Africa dominating as the primary destination, raising questions pertaining to the country’s dependence on the neighbour’s feedlot system and the long-term sustainability of its livestock industry.
It has emerged that, in 2024 alone, Namibia exported 172,901 live cattle to South Africa, underscoring the nation’s heavy reliance on its southern neighbour’s well-established feedlot system.
This was revealed by Meat Board Head of Marketing Desmond Cloete in an exclusive interview with Confidente, this week.
According to Cloete, Namibia lacks the infrastructure to sustain large-scale feedlot operations due to its inability to produce enough livestock fodder.
“Cattle exported to RSA are in majority weaners and tollies less than 250kg live weight to be raised in feedlots due to Namibia inability to raise them locally as a result of a lack of producing our own livestock fodder,” he explained.
The young cattle are transported to South African feedlots, where they are fattened before entering the beef market, since the well-developed South African feedlot industry provides the necessary resources, infrastructure, and fodder supply that Namibia currently lacks.
Cloete further revealed that, still in 2024, Namibia exported 3743 live cattle to Angola, 729 to Botswana, as well as 184 and 110 to Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively.  
“The cattle exported to the rest of the destinations [not RSA] are for breeding purposes, thus reproductive animals,” Cloete revealed.

Local solutions

It has however emerged that the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN) has been working on strategies to improve Namibia’s feed production capacity and reduce dependency on live exports.
“While Namibia’s livestock industry remains heavily tied to South African feedlots, efforts are underway to enhance local feed production and reduce reliance on live exports. Addressing these structural challenges will be essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability and profitability of Namibia’s livestock sector,” Cloete said.
One of the major challenges faced by Namibian producers, according to him, is climate change, which continues to impact grazing land and fodder availability. To mitigate these effects, the LLPBN has been supporting drought-resistant grazing initiatives and subsidizing arboricides to combat bush encroachment, which limits the availability of quality pastureland.
“Looking ahead, Namibia aims to improve local feed production, support farmers in sustainable livestock management, and explore alternatives to its current dependence on South African feedlots,” Cloete stressed, further maintaining that expansion on local finishing and processing capacity could enhance Namibia’s competitiveness in the international beef market while ensuring greater economic benefits for its farmers.

Beef market expanding

While live cattle exports to South Africa dominate the trade, Namibia’s processed beef exports to multiple international markets cannot be overlooked. In 2024, the European Union was the largest importer of Namibian beef, accounting for 58.3% of total exports, followed by the UK (13.57%), South Africa (18.71%), and Norway (7.06%), while smaller quantities were shipped to China, the USA, and Ghana.
Cloete emphasized that Namibia’s beef industry is expanding but remains affected by production challenges.
“Meat consumption [for example] is affected by disposable income levels of consumers, therefore shelf prices affect procurement behaviour. At this current moment, protein demand is for poultry, followed by pork, beef, and finally lamb, poultry being the cheapest, and lamb the most expensive,” he explained.
Cloete further revealed that the LLPBN is on a deliberate quest to ensure that Namibia maintains ethical and sustainable meat production standard, by overseeing the Farm Assured Namibian Meat Scheme (FANMEAT).
“This initiative guarantees that Namibia’s beef is produced according to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), with strict adherence to animal welfare policies and a commitment to natural rangeland farming.
He emphasized the importance of developing local solutions, stating, “The LLPBN also conducts livestock advisory services to producers to capacitate them on sustainable practices including market demand and supply issues.” These efforts aim to support local farmers in improving grazing systems and adopting more resilient livestock feeding practices.
The LLPBN recognizes that while Namibia’s beef exports to global markets like the EU and UK continue to grow, reliance on live exports to South Africa remains a critical aspect of the livestock economy. “Decentralization of the LLPBN services are being investigated,” Cloete noted, highlighting efforts to strengthen domestic meat processing and marketing capabilities.