Vinia Ndakondja, Peta Thomas
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the implementation of the European Union–Southern African Development Community Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-SADC EPA) by Namibian beef companies. The study sought to answer how the Namibian beef companies manage the EU-SADC EPA with regard to the value it creates for Namibia. This research applied the use of a qualitative methodology employing one-on-one in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants who had knowledge of the application of EU-SADC EPA either through exporting beef via the agreement or by management of the agreement. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis techniques. A key finding of this study was that, because of the competitiveness of the Namibian beef production systems in the European market, Namibia’s beef industry can realise substantial returns from the EU market.