'One event can activate many industries' - president's message at CST Expo

Namibia must stop treating sport, tourism and the creative industries as "side activities", President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said, calling instead for them to be recognised and built into serious job-creating industries.

Speaking through finance minister Ericah Shafudah at the opening of the inaugural Creative.Sport.Tourism (CST) Expo 2026 in Windhoek on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the CST sectors can be transformed into Namibian industries capable of generating real jobs and income, tying the push directly to the goals of the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).

“Our task is to move beyond discussing potential and begin building industries that create work, income and lasting value,” the president said, lending the CST Expo's core focus areas a national development stamp of approval.

"The name of this CST Expo tells an important story. Creativity gives sport its identity. Sport draws people together. Tourism carries that energy into our towns, communities, businesses and national economy. When these sectors are connected deliberately, a single sporting event becomes an entire chain of opportunity," the president said.

Officially declaring the CST Expo open, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the event should mark a shift in how Namibia views the three sectors.

"Not as side activities, but as productive sectors capable of creating jobs, generating income, strengthening national identity and carrying the Namibian story to the world.”

The president stressed that the CST Expo underscores the importance of the private sector contributing to national development.

"National ambitions will not be achieved by government acting alone, nor by any one sector working in isolation. One event can activate many industries, but only if we plan it that way. One talented young Namibian can create work for many others, but only if the supporting value chain is strong."

Tapping into talent

NDP6 targets aim to lift sport's contribution to employment from roughly 1% to 3.5% by 2030, alongside a goal of 1.8 million tourist arrivals in the same time frame.

Yet Namibia's tourism numbers are moving in the wrong direction: the country recorded 1.2 million international arrivals in 2025, a 3.2% drop from the figures recorded the year before.

For Nandi-Ndaitwah, the figures underline the need to diversify Namibia's tourism offering and deliberately connect it with sport, culture and creative industries.

She pointed to the scale of the global opportunity on offer, citing estimates that the international sports economy generated some US$2.3 trillion in 2025, nearly 2% of global GDP, and could climb to US$3.7 trillion by 2030.

“The question before us is therefore not whether opportunity exists, but how Namibia positions itself to secure a greater share of it,” she said,

“A road race, cycling tour, boxing championship, football match or netball tournament should therefore be planned as more than a fixture on a sporting calendar,” she said, calling for events to also serve as tourism experiences, cultural showcases, media products and marketplaces for Namibian goods and services.

The president added that Namibia "has everything required to build this kind of economy. We have gifted athletes, designers, artists and performers. We have compelling landscapes, a rich cultural heritage and communities with stories worth sharing. Our coast, deserts, towns and villages can host sporting experiences that draw Namibians and international visitors while creating business for local communities".

Acknowledge world-class work

She also delivered a pointed message on the treatment of creatives and service providers. “Exposure is not a substitute for payment. Passion does not remove the responsibility to pay people for their labour and skill."

She said the creative, sports and tourism industries can only deliver value if Namibia confronts another obstacle: the stereotype that one cannot make a decent living in these sectors.

"We will not dismantle that stereotype through words alone. We will dismantle it when service providers are contracted professionally, credited properly and remunerated fairly and on time."

She added: "If we expect world-class work, we must build a culture that values professional service. A costume designer, photographer, musician, coach, tour guide, stage technician or athlete must be able to pursue excellence while also supporting a family and building a dignified future."

Hard work and opportunity

Nandi-Ndaitwah called for an integrated national calendar of sporting and cultural events, greater local procurement and stronger investment in facilities, academies, leagues, broadcasting and digital platforms.

“Let us see new sporting events linked to destination packages. Let us see Namibian sportswear and merchandise on the market. Let us see more local music, design, food and culture forming part of the spectator experience.”

Drawing on her own youth as a netball player, the president said today's young Namibians have opportunities her generation was denied but warned that talent alone won't get them far.

“Talent alone is not a development strategy. It must be identified, trained, supported and connected to opportunity,” she said.

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