The Tourism Global Commodity Chain in Namibia: Industry Concentration and its Impacts on Transformation

Applying Global Commodity Chain (GCC) theory, this article uncovers governance patterns in the Namibian tourism industry. The sector, it is argued, is best characterized as a buyer-driven GCC, in which large tour operators and accommodation groups control most economic transactions, and in which local actors remain generic suppliers with limited power to capture a significant share of the value. In a context of rapid globalization and fierce competition, horizontal and vertical integration have further concentrated economic powers in the hands of larger groups (national or international). With such an ownership structure, previously disadvantaged Namibians lack economic leverage to be fully involved in the largely white-dominated tourism sector.