Relationship dossier
Namibia
Zambia
Relationship assessment
Practical regional cooperation, including transport links and Southern African regional engagement
Namibia toward Zambia
+25Namibia has participated in the Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi Development Corridor, which provides Zambia with a route to the Atlantic and supports regional freight movement.
Zambia toward Namibia
+25Zambia participates with Namibia in the Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi Development Corridor, a regional transport initiative supporting freight links through Namibia.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship has a practical regional-cooperation structure, notably through a transport corridor linking Zambia to Namibia's Atlantic port infrastructure, alongside engagement in Southern African regional institutions. These features support a cooperative characterization, though the scale and durability of specifically bilateral initiatives are not fully clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Namibia and Zambia have maintained practical cooperation through regional transport and trade links. Namibia provides Zambia access to the Atlantic through the Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi Development Corridor, a regional transport initiative supporting movement of goods. Their governments also cooperate through the Southern African Development Community. The specific breadth and implementation of bilateral cooperation are less clear.
Key developments
The Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi Development Corridor was established as a regional transport initiative linking Zambia and other inland areas to Namibia's Atlantic port.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral agreements are unclear.
- Details of recent government-to-government cooperation are limited.