Namibia to launch Africa’s first sea-based salmon farm
Norwegian-backed aquaculture project breaks ground in Lüderitz
NAMIBIA – Namibia is moving ahead with Africa’s first commercial offshore salmon farm as African Aquaculture Company partners with Norway’s AKVA group to set up operations off the coast of Lüderitz.
The project has secured licenses allowing for a total annual capacity of 51,000 tonnes of salmon, making it one of the largest aquaculture initiatives in the region.
According to African Aquaculture Company chief executive Helge Krøgenes, the partnership with AKVA was considered key because of the company’s experience in equipment supply, technical systems, and global distribution.
Development work on the initiative has been ongoing for more than two years, with construction now centered on five floating pens that will be fitted with automated feeding, camera systems, and digital monitoring tools.
The first smolt are expected to be stocked in 2026, with harvesting projected to start in 2027.
The company plans to rely on the existing port and processing facilities in Lüderitz Bay, which are seen as suitable for handling salmon production and exports.
Local context
Authorities in Namibia have supported the venture, citing the country’s stable political climate and defined regulatory frameworks as favorable conditions for new investment.
Officials expect the facility to generate employment opportunities, build aquaculture expertise, and open up new sources of export earnings for the country.
The site outside Lüderitz was chosen for its stable ocean currents and water temperatures ranging between 10 and 16 degrees Celsius, conditions rarely available in the Southern Hemisphere.
Industry entry
The involvement of AKVA group will include supplying the first five pens and providing technical systems for the farm.
The African Aquaculture Company has described the farm as the start of a wider industry in Namibia, though no further production stages beyond the initial license have yet been confirmed.
With the introduction of salmon farming to the region, Namibia joins a small number of countries outside Europe and North America producing the species commercially.
The launch is being closely watched by regional seafood stakeholders, who view it as a test case for the viability of salmon farming under Southern Hemisphere conditions.
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