Advanced International Journal for Research

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Cross-Border Trade and Local Entrepreneurship: Assessing the Impact of Angolan Traders on Small and Medium Enterprises in Nkurenkuru, Namibia

Author(s) Mr. Daniel Sitentu Kandjimi, Ms. Elise Linnoveve Hauholo, Andreas Muronga Shifafure
Country Namibia
Abstract ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study assesses the impact of Angolan cross-border traders on the sales and profitability of local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nkurenkuru, Kavango West Region, Namibia, an emerging border town that has received far less empirical attention than the larger crossings at Rundu–Calai and Oshikango–Santa Clara. It also proposes measures to promote fair competition and support the sustainability of local SMEs.
Methodology: A qualitative case study design was adopted, with Porter’s (1985) theory of competitive advantage as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 purposively and snowball-sampled informal vendors around three retail sites in Nkurenkuru until data saturation was reached, supplemented by a follow-up discussion with two immigration officials at the Nkurenkuru border post. Data were analysed thematically.
Findings: Angolan traders sell a near-identical product range to local vendors. Respondents reported reduced sales and profit margins and increased losses from spoiled, unsold perishable stock, which they linked to lower prices, greater mobility (house-to-house selling is not permitted for local vendors) and a much lower municipal trading fee (N$23 compared with N$460). Some vendors also reported benefits, including cheaper stock for resale. Immigration officials indicated that most Angolan traders enter Namibia on visitor’s permits rather than trading permits, and that enforcement is deliberately tempered to avoid pushing traders towards illegal entry points.
Implications for theory and practice: The findings qualify the cost-leadership logic of competitive advantage theory: the advantage of Angolan traders is shaped as much by regulatory and immigration-policy asymmetries as by trading efficiency. The study recommends harmonising municipal trading fees, enforcing the Competition Act 2 of 2003, creating a formal cross-border trading permit category, investing in market infrastructure, and training local SMEs in entrepreneurship and financial management.
Originality/value: The study provides site-specific evidence from an under-researched border town and combines vendors’ accounts with the perspective of immigration officials, a combination that remains uncommon in research on the Namibia–Angola border.
Keywords cross-border trade, informal traders, SMEs, competitive advantage, immigration policy, Nkurenkuru, Namibia, Angola
Field Business Administration
Published In Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On 2026-10-06
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