Namibia oil pitch: More lenient to capital than the Middle East - Gawie Kanjemba

CLEAN ENERGY BRIDGE, AVOID RESOURCE CURSE, UPLIFT 50% UNEMPLOYED Namibia has become one of the world’s hottest new oil plays, with giant Orange Basin discoveries attracting major global energy companies and sparking talk of a future “top‑tier hydrocarbon hub.” In this interview with oil and gas expert Gawie Kanjemba, we explore how the country hopes to turn an offshore windfall into a broader energy future, from green hydrogen to longer‑term options such as nuclear and geothermal, and whether its young democracy can avoid the classic resource curse that has haunted other producers. Kanjemba told Linda van Tilburg that these discoveries are drawing in some of the world’s largest energy companies. He says Namibia is now competing for global oil capital and argues that it offers a more lenient, flexible investment environment than many Middle Eastern producers. Since 2022, discoveries at Venus (TotalEnergies) and Mopane (Galp) in Namibia’s Orange Basin have revealed massive reserves unlocked by ultra‑deepwater drilling in around 3 km of water. These game‑changing finds are positioning Namibia as a serious new oil player, increasingly mentioned alongside Guyana, with companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and TotalEnergies actively exploring, investing and signing new deals along its coast. Kanjemba argues that this moment could give Namibia a much stronger geopolitical voice — and notes that its relatively open, rules‑based investment environment may be more attractive for investors than stricter jurisdictions in parts of the Middle East. But he also stresses that oil must remain a bridge to a diversified, future‑proof energy system and, crucially, translate into real jobs, services and opportunities in a country where unemployment hovers around 50%.