By Staff Reporter

Copyright web

Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah joined fellow leaders and business executives at the Unstoppable Africa 2025 high-level opening panel in New York, where she underlined Africa’s critical role in shaping global markets.

Sharing the stage with Botswana’s President Duma Boko, Naspers South Africa CEO Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, and DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasised that Africa remains the world’s leading source of many critical minerals, yet is still too often treated as a secondary player while driving the growth of others.

Photos: Namibian Presidency

“This narrative must change,” she stressed, urging African nations to fully leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to strengthen intra-African trade, build regional value chains, and ensure that resources are processed and refined on the continent.

The President reiterated that Africa can no longer afford to rely on exporting raw materials alone. By investing in local industries, creating jobs, and prioritising value addition, the continent can transform markets, secure its economic sovereignty, and claim a fairer share of global prosperity.