Interpretation of Namibia Politics and the Need to Intensify Agriculture for Economic Transition in Africa, a Lesson to Learn from China

It has been a beautiful last twoweeks in People’s Republic ofChina， I arrived in Beijing on the 2 July 2023 to attend a prestigious workshop for Shaping the Share Fu- ture： Young African Political Leaders which ended on the 14 July 2023 in Shanghai City. I am back in Wind- hoek， Namibia （Land of the Brave） with chilly weather and I am in a good spirit of patriotism. Let us dwell in it！！ Namibia， a country located in southwestern Africa， has a rich his- tory shaped by political struggles and economic challenges.

Since gaining independence in1990， Namibia has made significantstrides in terms of political stabilityand socio-economic development.However， there is still a pressing needto intensify Agriculture as well asTechnology and Financial Technolo-gy （Fintech） sectors to drive the coun-try’s economic metamorphosis forthe purpose of building a communitywith a shared future for humanity.

Namibia’s political landscape ischaracterized by a robust democracyand a commitment to good govern-ance. The country has established amulti-party system， ensuring， a politi-cal pluralism and fostering a healthycompetition of ideas. Additionally，Namibia has a strong legal frame-work that protects human rights，freedom of speech， and a free press.This political stability has been cru-cial in attracting foreign direct investment， fostering economic growth， and building a reliable environment for businesses to thrive.

While Namibia has made commendable progress in political stability， it faces persistent economic challenges. The country relies heavily on the mining sector， particularly diamonds and uranium， which contribute significantly to its GDP. However， this over-reliance on natural resources leaves Namibia vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices， which can severely impact its economy. To ensure sustainable economic growth， Namibia must diversify its economy and reduce its dependency on extractive industries.

Technology holds immense potential for transforming Namibia’s economy. Embracing digitalization and investing in technological infrastructure can significantly enhance efficiency， productivity， and competitiveness across various sectors. By leveraging technology， Namibia can improve access to education， healthcare， and government services， bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive growth. Furthermore， technology can stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship， creating jobs and stimulating economic activity.

Agriculture is a sector that has the potential to drive Namibia’s economic metamorphosis. Despite being arid， Namibia has vast untapped agricultural potential. The country can harness modern farming techniques， such as precision agriculture， drip irrigation， and hydroponics， to overcome its water scarcity challenges and increase agricultural productivity. Investing in sustainable agriculture practices can not only boost food security but also create employment opportunities， reduce poverty， and generate export revenues.

Additionally， the Fintech sector has the potential to revolutionize Namibia’s financial landscape. Fintech solutions， such as mobile banking， digital payments， and blockchain technology， can enhance financial inclusion， improve access to credit， and facilitate secure and efficient transactions. By embracing Fintech， Namibia can reduce the reliance on traditional banking systems， expand financial services to underserved populations， and drive economic growth.

To intensify the agriculture， as well as the Technology and Fintech sectors， Namibia needs to prioritize investment in education and skills development. By equipping its workforce with the necessary technical and digital skills， Namibia can foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Additionally， the government should create an enabling environment for private sector investment， offering incentives and support to businesses operating in these sectors. Collaboration between the government， private sector， and international partners China to be specific is crucial to developing a comprehensive strategy that addresses the specific challenges and opportunities faced by Namibia.

Agriculture is a field that demands collaboration and co-ordination among different actors to achieve optimal results. China’s success in agriculture is largely attributed to the co-ordination and collaboration of its agricultural stakeholders， namely government， researchers， and community， in what I referred to as the golden triangle. The golden triangle is a closely knit group that shares information and works together to address issues related to production and productivity.

The success of this structure is a testament to the power of co-ordination and collaboration in achieving success in agriculture as evidently as case in China. The specific examples of the golden triangle concept can be found in Yanbo Village in Yuni town under the leadership of Ms. Yi Liufen as well as the local young entrepreneurs farming with peach in Pinggu District.

The golden triangle in China’s agriculture sector is not just a mere collaboration but a well-thought-out co-ordination of government， researchers， and community （farmers）. Each component has a specific role， and they work together to address the challenges in their respective areas. Communities （farmers） are responsible for implementing the research findings， while researchers develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing government. Community serves as intermediaries between government and researchers， disseminating information to government and collecting feedback to improve research. This close relationship ensures that any issue is quickly addressed， and solutions are developed in a timely manner.

This close relationship betweenthe three components of the golden triangle is not just a casual relation- ship， but a relationship built on trust， freedom of expression， and open lines of communication. Each compo- nent has a say， and their opinions are valued. This open communication enables government to give feedback to researchers， who can then tailor their research to meet the needs of farmers. Researchers can also provide government with up-to-date informa- tion on the latest research findings， enabling government to make in- formed decisions.

The reason China’s experience is of great significance to African countries is that majority have a his- tory like that of China. They follow similar quests and face similar chal- lenges. Moreover， China and a num- ber of African developing countries have in common is the experience of hardships and breaking the chains of imperialism and colonialism through national liberation movements. Al- though China is thriving economi-cally， most of these African develop- ing countries are economically and culturally behind and are now strug- gling to achieve modernization.

China and African developingcountries are therefore sharing a common historical destiny. In addi- tion， China is a socialist country and adheres to the development path of socialism with Chinese characteris- tics. China established a new path that fits with its national conditions and national system， implemented reforms， and accumulated a good deal of successful experience.

Therefore， China offers new choices to African developing countries that want to accelerate development and maintain their independence， and China also contributes wisdom and solutions to human problems. Therefore， developing countries can learn from China’s successful reform experience. SWAPO Party is the gov- erning party of the Government of Namibia， lately， it’s Central Commit- tee has been discussing an appropri- ate approach to implement socialism with Namibian characteristics.

Overall， the main lesson fromChina’s past 40 years of reform and opening-up is that proper incentives and behaviour of the government， local and central， are important for economic growth and that lies within the coordination approach of bottom- up planning amongst other factors.

The bottom-up planning coupledwith coordination， dedication and discipline has been key to China’s success in building an inclusive pros- perous nation they are today. The advantage of bottom-up planning is that due to the decentralized ap- proach， planning starts directly from the community members whereby community members are directly in- volved in the planning process.

The success of China’s agriculturesector is a testament to the power of co- ordination and collaboration amongvarious stakeholders. African coun- tries are encouraged to benchmark on China’s model “golden triangle” to improve their agriculture sector. In countries where appears to be a discon- nection between government， research- ers， and community， co-ordination and collaboration could be encouraged to improve the implementation and ad- dress challenges in the sector.

The Chinese government imple- mented poverty alleviation actions that can be a model for successful re- form worldwide and provides useful experience for developing countries， especially in Africa. It is also notable that the poverty alleviation policies formulated in China were adapted ac- cording to the country’snational con- ditions and had been completed by 2020， whereby， the entire population has become moderately prosperous.

In conclusion， it is my convic- tion that agriculture is a field that requires co-ordination and col- laboration among different actors to achieve optimal results. China’s suc- cess in agriculture is attributed to the philosophy which is a well-thought- out co-ordination of government，researchers， and its community. This close relationship between the three components of the golden triangle is built on trust， freedom of expression， and open lines of communication. The success of this model could be replicated in African countries to im- prove their agriculture sector.

Most Africa’s political stability has laid a strong foundation for economic development， but there is a pressing need to intensify technology， agricul- ture， and Fintech sectors to drive the country’s economic metamorphosis. Embracing technology， investing in sustainable agriculture practices， and leveraging Fintech solutions can diversify Namibia’s economy， create employment opportunities， and en- hance financial inclusion. Through strategic investments and collabora- tion， Africa can unlock its full po- tential and achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.

RehabeamIiyambois member of the National Executive Committee of the Youth League of the SWAPO Party of Namibia