Staff Writer
HARARE: Zimbabwe’s engineering and fabrication expertise has potential to tap into Namibia’s offshore oil and gas sector through synergies and joint venture opportunities.
Namibia has become one of the world’s most significant oil frontiers, with estimated offshore reserves of 20 billion barrels after several discoveries in recent years along its coast.
While it has not yet produced any oil or gas, production in the southern African country is expected from about 2030.
Knowledge Ndunge Ipinge, Strategist of the inaugural Erongo Offshore Safety Conference held in Swakopmund, Namibia between May 1st and May 2nd 2025 in an interview said bilateral chambers and export councils should actively drive these linkages.
“Zimbabwe’s engineering and fabrication expertise, coupled with Namibia’s expanding offshore activities, creates a compelling synergy. Opportunities lie in joint ventures for marine services, shared skills pipelines, and co-investment in regional infrastructure,” he said.
According to Ipinge, the inaugural Erongo Offshore Safety Conference was not just a platform for dialogue, but it was a call to action.
He said a recurring recommendation was the harmonisation of safety protocols across African offshore jurisdictions to avoid fragmentation and ensure investor confidence.
Equally important was also the consensus around digitising safety reporting to ensure transparency and faster incident response.
Ipinge said policy clarity is paramount and for example Angola’s local content frameworks and Ghana’s Petroleum Commission model show that deliberate governance attracts sustained investment.
“Zimbabwe can also learn from how these markets engage communities, de-risk exploration, and partner with global firms while retaining national benefit,” he said.
He also highlighted that Africa’s offshore future will be won through cooperation, not competition and the inaugural Erongo Offshore Safety Conference marked the beginning of a continental realignment, where safety, sustainability, and shared prosperity are non-negotiable.
“Zimbabwe’s involvement is not just welcomed, it’s necessary,” he said. From a Pan-African partnerships and joint ventures perspective, Ipinge said Namibia’s offshore frontier is rapidly evolving and there’s strong potential for joint ventures in fabrication, marine logistics, HSE auditing, and environmental management.
“African companies, particularly those from Ghana, Nigeria, or Angola with offshore experience, can bring valuable technical expertise while also unlocking new markets. ‘Namibia welcomes partnerships that localise operations and build enduring value chains,” he said.
Ipinge also noted that climate change is altering ocean patterns, exacerbating extreme weather events, and challenging offshore infrastructure integrity.
He said adaptation requires three things that is engineering resilience, predictive modelling, and emissions accountability.
“Companies must design platforms to withstand future climate realities, invest in AI-powered forecasting, and adopt carbon reduction plans, even as we extract. The future is not either/or; it’s resilience alongside responsibility,” he said.
He said African countries in order to maximise local content and job creation in offshore development should firstly anchor local content laws in legislation, not policy alone.
He said governments should also invest in vocational and technical institutions that match industry demand and by ensuring procurement is transparent and favouring regional suppliers where capabilities exist.
Ipinge said Zimbabwean companies stand to gain immensely, from safer drilling practices to advanced HSE technologies and ESG-aligned operating models.
“Additionally, considering participation in the upcoming Erongo Offshore Safety Conference taking place in 2026 which will offer access to technical papers, regional regulatory insights, and a network of like-minded service providers.
“This knowledge will sharpen Zimbabwe’s own readiness as it explores domestic energy prospects,” he said.
Invictus Energy, have made significant discoveries of oil and gas in Zimbabwe, including natural gas, light oil, and condensate, in the Muzarabani and Mbire regions of the country.
These discoveries are expected to have a major impact on Zimbabwe’s economy and energy sector.
