By Gerson David

There may be a green light for Namibia to step into the global energy scene, with the guiding pathway from successful exploration to early production, according to Kornelia Shilunga, Special Advisor and Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Presidency.  She made the remarks at the 2025 African Energy Week (AEW), in Cape Town South Africa, recently.

Shilunga stressed Namibia’s emerging role as a hub for both offshore and onshore petroleum activities. “In recent years, Namibia has witnessed a series of significant offshore discoveries, firmly establishing the Orange Basin as one of the world’s most promising petroleum regions, these milestone, including discoveries such as Capricornus, Venus and Mopane, confirming Namibia’s growing role as both a destination for exploration and a potential hub for future production,” Shilunga maintained. 

She said that their open licencing regime provides access to deep water, utra-deepwater and shallow water acreage.  According to her, the government has worked “diligently” to refine and improve fiscal and regulatory framework to ensure that investment terms remain competitive, while safeguarding national interests. Shilunga said that Namibia is committed to partnerships that bring not only capital but also technology and expertise, ensuring that resource development is contacted responsibly and sustainably.

The country’s Orange Basin witnessed a series of landmark offshore discoveries, highlighting its growing petroleum potential. This follows TotalEnergies’s Venus discovery in PEL 56, multiple finds at Galp’s Mopane Complex in PEL8 and more recently, the Capricornus, Sagittarius and Voltans discoveries in Rhino Resources. Onshore, the Kavango Basin continues to draw attention, with ReconAfrica’s drill at Kavango EWSt-1X expected to provide further insights later this year.

Shilunga framed these developments as part of Namibia’s strategic vision to move beyond exploration.  Saying that their vision is not just to become a producer, but to build sustainable and responsible energy future that is anchored in partnership and shared prosperity.

With appraisal activities underway and development planning beginning for key discoveries, She said Namibia is positioning itself as a rising force in Africa’s energy sector. She added that competitive fiscal frameworks, transparent licensing and sustainable development serve as key driver that could accelerate its first commercial oil production around 2029-2030.