Windhoek: The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) Okapuka Tannery has announced the completion of its latest sustainability audit conducted by the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF), marking progress towards internationally recognised environmental, social, and governance standards.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the SLF is an international non-profit organisation promoting responsible and sustainable practices across the global leather value chain. In a media statement issued on Wednesday, Meatco Interim Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Albertus Aochamub, stated that this achievement demonstrates Namibia's capability to produce premium, traceable, and responsibly produced leather for international markets.

Aochamub emphasized that the milestone surpasses mere compliance and aligns with Namibia's efforts to retain more value from its livestock resources through local processing and value addition. "Our ambition is to ensure that greater value from every animal remains in Namibia," he said.

Meatco highlighted that the Okapuka Tannery processes locally sourced and traceable Namibian cattle hides into full-substance wet blue leather. These products are currently exported to Italy, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Ghana, with further opportunities being pursued in the European Union, SADC, AfCFTA, and Asian markets.

Aochamub further stated that Meatco intends to advance further up the leather value chain by increasing the production of finished leather and other higher-value products within Namibia. "We must move beyond exporting intermediate products and unlock more value here at home. Finished leather and other higher-value products present opportunities for industrialisation, jobs, export earnings, and stronger returns from Namibia's livestock sector," he said.

Meatco expressed that this sustainability milestone supports its broader strategy of maximising value from Namibia's livestock resources and contributes to national priorities on industrialisation, value addition, export growth, and employment creation.