**Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility from a Global Perspective**

**Chapter 5**

**Provisional chapter**

**Ethics and Globalisation: A Namibian Perspective -**

**Ethics and Globalisation: A Namibian Perspective -** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.84746

Globalisation can bring about many positive and negative changes to any economy. Namibia has enjoyed stability since gaining independence about 3 decades ago. Today, Namibia is struggling to stay afloat amid financial crisis. Numerous international companies such as Ramatex from Malaysia entered the business sphere shortly after independence, with promises to improve the livelihoods of a young economy. However, this only lasted for a very short while, as most of the promises were not met. As with many global companies, Ramatex packed up and left Namibia in less than 10 years. This had a very big impact on Namibia, as the economy had to find new ways to survive. A substantial number of citizens lost their jobs, and the psychological impacts of recovery were very detrimental on the families. Namibians from all across the country flocked to the capital city Windhoek, with the aim of improving their lives, but all these dreams, hopes and aspirations were short lived. This chapter will make use of secondary research documents and in-depth interviews with some of the key stakeholders. On a positive side, the closure of Ramatex led to the birth local manufacturing giant Dinapama Manufacturing and Supplies, which is

striving using lessons from the past to build capacity in the local economy. **Keywords:** globalisation, business ethics, Dinapama, Ramatex, Namibia

Since the 1990s, globalisation has been widely discussed due to its multifaceted impact on our everyday life. For the past 10 years the share of Namibian urban population increased with over 10% [1] as more people flock to urban areas in search of greener pastures. The Namibian government has been under pressure from the activists and the community

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

**Ramatex Case**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

**Ramatex Case**

Wilfred Isak April, Daniel Ileni Itenge,

Wilfred Isak April, Daniel Ileni Itenge,

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84746

David Namalenga and Petrus Stepfanus Erwee

David Namalenga and Petrus Stepfanus Erwee

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

#### **Ethics and Globalisation: A Namibian Perspective - Ramatex Case Ethics and Globalisation: A Namibian Perspective - Ramatex Case**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.84746

Wilfred Isak April, Daniel Ileni Itenge, David Namalenga and Petrus Stepfanus Erwee Wilfred Isak April, Daniel Ileni Itenge, David Namalenga and Petrus Stepfanus Erwee

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84746

#### **Abstract**

Globalisation can bring about many positive and negative changes to any economy. Namibia has enjoyed stability since gaining independence about 3 decades ago. Today, Namibia is struggling to stay afloat amid financial crisis. Numerous international companies such as Ramatex from Malaysia entered the business sphere shortly after independence, with promises to improve the livelihoods of a young economy. However, this only lasted for a very short while, as most of the promises were not met. As with many global companies, Ramatex packed up and left Namibia in less than 10 years. This had a very big impact on Namibia, as the economy had to find new ways to survive. A substantial number of citizens lost their jobs, and the psychological impacts of recovery were very detrimental on the families. Namibians from all across the country flocked to the capital city Windhoek, with the aim of improving their lives, but all these dreams, hopes and aspirations were short lived. This chapter will make use of secondary research documents and in-depth interviews with some of the key stakeholders. On a positive side, the closure of Ramatex led to the birth local manufacturing giant Dinapama Manufacturing and Supplies, which is striving using lessons from the past to build capacity in the local economy.

**Keywords:** globalisation, business ethics, Dinapama, Ramatex, Namibia
