The inaugural Namibia Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Mukopano attracted requests from 80 organisations seeking to showcase their social investment programmes, more than double the 28 presentations organisers were able to accommodate.
Swakop Uranium Executive Vice President Irvinne Simataa said the level of interest highlights growing corporate and institutional participation in social investment, but also points to the need for greater coordination to avoid duplication and fragmented interventions.
“It is important to announce that we received 80 requests from organisations wishing to showcase their products and initiatives at today’s gathering. However, owing to time constraints, we were only able to accommodate 28 presentations,” Simataa said.
“The level of interest demonstrates the importance of this event and the commitment that exists among stakeholders to contribute to social development in Namibia.”
The CSI Mukopano brings together businesses, foundations, government, non-governmental organisations, civil society and development partners to coordinate social investment and develop partnerships around Namibia’s development priorities.
Simataa said Namibia has no shortage of organisations investing in communities, but many initiatives remain isolated, limiting their potential impact.
He said the platform aims to shift corporate social investment towards coordinated programmes aligned with Namibia’s National Development Plans, particularly priorities around poverty reduction, employment and wealth creation, inequality, human development, resilience, environmental protection, governance and service delivery.
“Our ambition is to align social investment programmes more deliberately with Namibia’s national development priorities, particularly the ambitions of the National Development Plans,” he said.
Simataa said the initiative also wants to increase the number of organisations contributing to CSI while ensuring investments are sustainable and deliver long-term benefits.
He called on companies to move beyond scholarships and short-term interventions towards programmes that develop skills, create sustainable livelihoods and produce measurable improvements in communities.
“Every investment should empower people, build capabilities, create sustainable livelihoods, provide young people with the necessary skills and deliver measurable improvements in people’s lives,” he said.
Simataa said businesses can contribute more than funding, including technology, infrastructure, networks, market access, technical skills and management expertise.
“When these capabilities are combined with financial resources, they can produce a much greater impact in communities and address their needs more effectively,” he said.
He said the effectiveness of CSI programmes should ultimately be measured by outcomes rather than expenditure, including improved access to education and essential services, stronger livelihoods, greater community resilience and expanded economic opportunities.
