Namibia has dropped nine places to 94th globally and slipped from 8th to 10th in Africa in the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026, despite continued growth in the country’s startup sector and improving business conditions.
The report said Namibia recorded annual ecosystem growth of 8.2%, below the global average, allowing faster-growing startup ecosystems to move ahead in the rankings.
“Namibia declines nine places to 94th globally, reversing steady progress from 99th in 2021 to 85th last year, with 8.2% growth well below the global average as faster-growing peers move ahead,” the report said.
Although Namibia lost ground globally and continentally, it retained its position as Southern Africa’s second-ranked startup ecosystem behind South Africa.
The report estimated Namibia’s startup ecosystem value at US$508.6 million, with Windhoek remaining the country’s only city ranked among the world’s top 1,000 startup ecosystems.
“Windhoek declines 13 places to 525th globally with 20.3% growth, a positive rate that nonetheless falls short of faster-growing peer cities,” the report said.
Despite the decline in overall rankings, Namibia performed relatively strongly in areas linked to international attractiveness and the business environment.
“Namibia ranks higher in the Innovators Business Environment Index at 83rd, indicating that strong business conditions have yet to fully translate into ecosystem outcomes,” the report said.
Namibia ranked fourth in Africa in the Ecosystem Attractiveness Functional Category, outperforming its broader continental ranking and reflecting what the report described as strong international appeal for startups and investors.
“Despite ranking 16th overall in Sub-Saharan Africa, Windhoek ranks 4th in the Ecosystem Attractiveness Functional Category in the region, reflecting strong international appeal,” the report said.
The report said Namibia’s startup ecosystem continues to benefit from regional connectivity, collaboration opportunities and policy coordination between public and private sector institutions.
Institutions highlighted as key supporters of the ecosystem included the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, and the Namibia office of German development agency GIZ.
“Namibia’s startup ecosystem is shaped by its connectedness, resourcefulness and strong foundation for collaboration. Positioned within the African Continental Free Trade Area, the country serves as a strategic gateway for founders to test, build and scale solutions with regional relevance,” said Linda McLeod, Startup and Scale Manager at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board.
The StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026 ranked startup ecosystems across 120 countries and more than 1,500 cities using metrics including performance, growth and ecosystem value.
