Exporting charcoal from Namibia

Namibia’s biggest bush-to-export product.

Your route to a first charcoal shipment

The Charcoal Export Pack is N$8,500, government fees included. Each shipment's documents after that are N$5,500.

What you need before we start

• A registered business, or the Export Starter Package to create one
• The farm name and the area you will clear, or the permits of the producers you buy from
• A sample and a rough monthly volume in tonnes
• A buyer or a target market, or we start you on the South African traders who buy in bulk

Who regulates charcoal exports

• Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (Forestry): Harvesting permits for encroacher bush and transport permits for every load to the processing site or the port
• Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Trade: Export permit for the consignment
• NamRA Customs: Exporter registration (TIN on ASYCUDA) and the export declaration
• Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Certificate of origin, SADC or EUR.1 where the buyer’s country gives Namibian charcoal duty preference

Documents on a first shipment

• Forestry harvesting permit
• Transport permits per load
• Export permit
• Certificate of origin
• FSC chain-of-custody certificate (for premium European buyers)
• Fumigation or phytosanitary statement where the destination asks for it

Where Namibian charcoal sells

South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands, Greece.

• Namibia exported about 270,000 tonnes of charcoal in 2023, worth roughly N$1.3 billion, and ranks among the world’s five largest charcoal exporters (Namibia Charcoal Association, Namibia Statistics Agency).
• FSC-certified charcoal has been selling to European buyers at a premium of around a quarter over uncertified product, which is why the certificate pays for itself on the first container.
• Most volume still leaves through South African traders who re-export it; a Namibian exporter who holds the paperwork keeps that margin.

What buyers ask for

• Lump charcoal, not briquettes, from hardwood encroacher species (Acacia, Dichrostachys, Terminalia)
• Moisture below about 8% and fines (dust and small pieces) below about 5% by weight
• Retail bags of 2.5, 3, 5 or 10 kg for European supermarkets; 1-tonne bulk bags for traders and re-packers
• FSC chain of custody for European retail; most South African traders do not require it
• Fixed carbon and ash content on a laboratory report for the first order from a new buyer

Where first-time exporters go wrong

• Harvesting without a Forestry permit, or moving bags without transport permits, which stops a load at a roadblock
• Selling to a European retailer without FSC chain of custody, which closes the premium market
• Moisture and fines above the buyer’s specification, so the container is rejected on arrival

Frequently asked questions

I do not own a farm. Can I still export charcoal?

Yes. Traders export most of Namibia’s charcoal. You buy from producers who hold harvesting permits, keep their permit copies and the transport permit for every load, and export under your own registration. The pack sets up that paper trail and the per-load tracker.

How much charcoal do I need for a first shipment?

A 40-foot container takes about 20 to 24 tonnes in bulk bags, or around 18 to 20 tonnes in retail bags. Many first-time exporters start by selling to a Namibian or South African aggregator in 5 to 10 tonne loads while they build up volume.

How long from paying to shipping?

With a registered business and a confirmed harvesting area, the pack takes 10 to 15 working days. A new business adds 15 to 20 working days for the Export Starter Package, which runs first. Shipment documents take 3 working days once you have a packing list.

Buying Namibian charcoal instead? See supply, specifications and verified suppliers.