Exporting dates from Namibia
Medjool from the Orange River, in season before anyone else.
Your route to a first dates shipment
| Where you are | What you buy | Total | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| New business: No registered CC or company yet | Export Starter Package + Fresh Produce Export Pack | N$21,000 | 25–35 working days |
| Registered business: A CC or company, but no customs code yet | Export Registration + Fresh Produce Export Pack | N$17,000 | 15–25 working days |
| Already an exporter: Customs code in hand, new to this commodity | Fresh Produce Export Pack + Shipment Documents | N$14,000 | 10–15 working days |
The Fresh Produce 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
- Your orchard or packhouse details and expected tonnage per season
- A buyer, or a target market; most Namibian dates sell through European and Middle Eastern importers
- Cold storage and a packhouse you own or rent
Who regulates dates exports
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (Plant Health): Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment
- Namibian Agronomic Board: Registration as a horticulture producer or exporter and the export levy return
- NamRA Customs: Exporter registration and the export declaration
- Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Certificate of origin, EUR.1 for duty-free entry to the EU under the SADC-EU EPA
Documents on a first shipment
- NAB producer or exporter registration
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Certificate of origin or EUR.1
- GlobalG.A.P. certificate (asked for by European retailers)
- Cold-chain and packhouse records
Where Namibian dates sells
European Union, United Kingdom, Middle East, South Africa.
- Namibian dates earned about N$25.8 million in a single recent quarter, with Medjool ripening weeks before Northern-hemisphere competitors (Namibia Statistics Agency trade statistics).
- Namibia’s produce enters the EU duty-free under the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement when it travels with an EUR.1 or origin declaration.
What buyers ask for
- Medjool grades by size and skin: Jumbo, Large, Medium, with moisture and sugar content stated
- Packed in 5 kg or retail trays with a packhouse code and lot number for traceability
- GlobalG.A.P. for European supermarkets; a residue report for the first order
- Cold chain held from packhouse to port
- EUR.1 or origin declaration for duty-free EU entry
Where first-time exporters go wrong
- Shipping without the phytosanitary certificate, so the consignment is destroyed or returned at the EU border
- Missing the NAB registration, which blocks the export permit
- No GlobalG.A.P., which keeps supermarket buyers away
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the Agronomic Board even for a small orchard?
Yes. Horticulture producers and exporters register with the Namibian Agronomic Board and file the levy return. Without the registration the export permit is not issued.
Who issues the phytosanitary certificate?
Plant Health at the Ministry of Agriculture inspects the consignment and issues the certificate per shipment. We set up the inspection process with your packhouse so peak-season bookings are not missed.
How long before my first shipment?
With a registered business, 10 to 15 working days for the pack. Each shipment’s phytosanitary certificate and origin documents then take about 3 working days from your packing list.
Buying Namibian dates instead? See supply, specifications and verified suppliers.