British business seeks more opportunities
British business delegates with Weatherly mine management: Charles Carnie, Weatherly Mine Engineer; Craig Thomas, Weatherly Managing Director, Andrew Barbut of Mott MacDonald, Simon Gillett of Roughton International, Alex Lambeth of British Expertise, Darren Keep of Mabey Bridge and Katherine Newaka, commercial officer in the British High Commission. (Photograph by Melba Chipepo).
The objective of the mission was to match investment opportunities with areas of British expertise in sectors such as mining, logistics, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, disaster risk reduction management, and tourism. Furthermore, a key goal of the visit was to assess the particular challenges UK companies might face when seeking investment opportunities in Namibia. The mission, led by the UK private sector organisation “British Expertise”, included representatives of participating companies Mott MacDonald, Roughton International and Mabey Bridge. The delegates expressed their satisfaction with the results of the fact-finding-mission. They all foresee the potential to engage in commercial projects with the public and private sector in Namibia. While some of the companies already had conducted projects in Namibia, others were successful in building contacts with potential future partners, who could lead them to explore new opportunities. As a result, some delegates said they are already planning their return to Namibia. The delegation was given a comprehensive overview and insightful presentations, giving them a better understanding of the Namibian business environment and the possibility to partner with local companies or form Joint Ventures. Some other UK companies already operating in Namibia, and forming part of the British Business Group in Namibia (BBG), include Rolls Royce, De Beers, Serica Energy, Weatherly, Rio Tinto, Tullow Oil, Anglo American, Chariot Oil & Gas, Parcel Force, Vedanta, BP, Capita Symonds, Global Petroleum, Glencore, and Kalahari Minerals.
