By Hilda Basson-Namundjebo
Running a business in Namibia is not for the faint hearted. It demands stamina, creativity and a level of commitment that goes far beyond profit.
In many ways, entrepreneurship in Namibia is an act of patriotism. It is a daily decision to keep building despite the headwinds.
Those who operate businesses here know the reality. Delays are one of the biggest obstacles to economic activity.
A delayed approval, a delayed payment, a delayed response, a critical meeting that keeps getting postponed. These small interruptions accumulate and quietly slow down the engine of enterprise.
Yet Namibians continue to build. We continue because we believe in this country and its potential. We continue because we believe, as the President often reminds us, that “we are too few to be poor”.
That statement carries a deeper truth. If we are too few to be poor, then we are also too few to allow opportunity to be scarce.
Why does opportunity feel so limited?
Namibia is a small nation with enormous potential, yet opportunity often feels concentrated or difficult to access. This is not about blame. It is about structure, culture and the way our economy has evolved.
Opportunity becomes scarce when information does not flow freely. Systems move slowly and networks become closed.
President Nandi Ndaitwah recently highlighted another dimension. Namibians of means are overwhelmed with requests for help from less advantaged compatriots.
This is not simply a social issue. It is an economic signal. It tells us that too many people are disconnected from opportunity, and those who have access are carrying the weight of those who do not.
This is where the conversation about poverty must evolve.
Poverty as loss of opportunity
Traditionally, poverty is defined as lack of income or resources. But in a modern economy, poverty is increasingly shaped by loss of opportunity. It is the inability to access the platforms, networks, information and systems that enable economic participation.
Poverty is when opportunity exists but is out of reach when talent is present. Pathways are blocked while ideas are abundant but support is limited; the people are willing but systems are slow.
In Namibia, poverty is not only about money. It is about missing the chance to participate. And participation is the foundation of prosperity.
The ghosts of business
According to BIPA, Namibia has more than two hundred thousand registered businesses. However, only a fraction of these are operational. Public statements and analyses indicate that fewer than twenty percent of registered entities are actively trading, employing or producing. The majority exists on paper but not in practice.
This gap tells a story. Namibians are willing to register businesses. Fewer manage to operate sustainably. Even fewer scale or employ.
This is not a failure of ambition. It is a reflection of the structural and cultural barriers that make entrepreneurship difficult.
Set opportunity free
Opportunity is not a finite resource. It expands when systems open, when information flows and when participation increases. Here are practical ways in which I believe Namibia can unlock more opportunity without assigning blame or creating tension.
Economic activity thrives on momentum, and Namibia will benefit greatly from improving speed and predictability in the way opportunities move through our systems.
Speed to market is a strategic advantage in business, thus faster turnaround times in procurement, approvals, licensing and payments would immediately expand participation and reduce the fatigue that entrepreneurs often experience.
Even landing a meeting with a key stakeholder like a line Minister, is a gateway to opportunity. Opportunity grows when information is visible and when leaders are available.
But speed alone is not enough. Namibia awaits the operationalisation of the Access to Information Act that, once fully implemented, can transform the way citizens engage with opportunity.
We need to democratise information so that every Namibian, regardless of background, can see and understand what is available.
This means more than publishing tenders and grants. It means creating digital platforms, mobile applications and accessible online portals that allow young people and emerging businesses to track opportunities in real time.
When information is easy to find, easy to understand and easy to act on, participation grows and the economy becomes more inclusive.
At the same time, Namibia needs a stronger culture of professional entrepreneurship. We must shift from side hustle thinking to enterprise thinking, recognising that entrepreneurship is a profession that requires discipline, systems, governance and long term commitment.
Incentives should favour businesses that are truly operational, those that employ, produce, export and innovate. Networks should function as bridges, not gates, and digital tools can help level the playing field.
And finally, we must celebrate builders. Farmers, manufacturers, digital innovators, service providers and entrepreneurs who push the country forward every day deserve national recognition because they are expanding opportunity for all of us.
When we combine speed, transparency, digital access and a culture that values enterprise, Namibia becomes a country where opportunity is visible, reachable and shared.
Too few to be poor – indeed !
Namibia is too small to let opportunity be rare. We are too few to allow talent to sit idle. We are too few to let ideas die in silence. We are too few to be poor, not because poverty is inevitable, but because opportunity should never be rationed.
If we free opportunity deliberately, consistently and collectively, we will discover that Namibia’s prosperity was never limited. It was simply waiting to be unlocked.
*Hilda is a business leader, public speaker and a seasoned broadcast journalist. Founder of the national brand and organisation Team Namibia, Hilda believes her purpose is to impact the world with kindness, one engagement at a time
