India’s African pivot: Uranium and digital power in Namibia
Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, arrived in Namibia following his five-nation tour focusing on securing uranium, minerals, and strengthening partnership in digital and defence, on July 9th, according to the North Africa Post.
Modi’s visit to Namibia is considered to be the first visit since Namibia’s independence in 1990 and since the election of Namibia’s first female head of state, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, reported on Maghrebi.org.
Rich in natural resources, Namibia is ranked as one of Africa’s top uranium producers and is known to be home to vast reserves of diamond, lithium, and rare earths, which are all essential to the clean energy and technology sector. As India pushes towards a green transition, talks between Modi and Nandi-Ndaitwah are expected to lay the foundations for long-term agreements in supply chain and mining partnership. One of the significant elements of the visit is the introduction of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Namibia- an initiative to increase financial inclusion while strengthening India’s digital leadership in the Global South.
India aims to bypass traditional diamond trade hubs like Antwerp, which is multi-layered and typically starts with miners, then passes through exporters and others, before finally reaching retailers. By bypassing this method, India seeks to initiate direct contact imports from Namibia, which cuts costs and reinforces its position as a ‘world-leading polishing industry’. India and Namibia are both expected to sign new MoUs in healthcare, education, digital training, and defence. This also includes a new Centre of Excellence in IT to upskill Namibian youth and civil servants in cybersecurity and digital governance.
As India is investing approximately $800 million, predominantly in mining, this reflects Modi’s pivot towards Africa. India has positioned itself as Namibia’s long-term partner, seeking to reduce its dependence on global powers like China and instead partner with Africa to fuel its energy transition.
The North Africa Post, Maghrebi.org
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