Wealthier Namibians have ‘it very tough’, president says

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says too few Namibians are economically empowered, leaving those with the financial means to help facing a growing stream of requests for money, jobs and other support.Speaking at the One Economy Foundation's annual fundraising event in Windhoek last Thursday, she said Namibians are “too few to be poor”, describing widespread poverty as scandalous in a country like Namibia with its vast resources.“We are not enjoying our empowerment. We are having it very tough,” she said, describing the daily requests she receives.“I don't know whether I'm the only one who's experiencing this," she told guests."In a day, I can get requests for taking children to school, for looking for a job, for somebody stranded somewhere. And if you can put that money together, it can go into thousands.”She said the answer lies in growing the economy so more people are empowered.“Yes, I say it, truly we are too few to be poor, and this is a scandal in a country like Namibia with resources that empower ourselves across borders. Currently, there are few of us, those of us sitting in this room, we are empowered,” she said.“Definitely, there is no doubt about that. We are empowered. But the majority outside there, they are not empowered.”The result, she said, is that a small group supports a very large one.“Because we are so few who are able to do that, the majority, who are many, they all come to us at the same time. And that is now the challenge that we are having.”She said the problem was one of scale, not willingness, and that a handful of requests a day would be manageable.“Because if you are only having two people in a day who are asking you to do something for them, you will definitely be able to do that. But now it's impossible because there are 10, 20 who are asking the same thing.”Widening the circle of empowermentNandi-Ndaitwah said the long-term solution is to grow the economy and empower Namibians across the country.“How do we ensure that we grow our economy in order to catch others that are not empowered?” she asked.She pointed to the One Economy Foundation as an example of a private programme that could help bring more people into economic activity.“What One Economy has done is a classic example. If we can have 10, 20, we can do that.”Nandi-Ndaitwah said expanding such initiatives could reduce the number of people dependent on others for assistance.“And count the number of the beneficiaries; you will see that we are going to empower as many people as possible. And we will have relief. Because the majority will then be able to take care of themselves.”She said those who remained unable to support themselves would then constitute a smaller group that economically empowered Namibians could more easily assist.“And the minority who cannot take care of themselves, those of us empowered, we will be able to manage them.”The president said Namibia's resources make widespread poverty particularly troubling and argued that empowerment programmes could help change the situation.“So this programme, if we all take them seriously, they will take our country out of poverty.”Youth at the centreThe president linked broader economic empowerment to investment in young people, citing the Namibia Statistics Agency's 2023 census finding that 71% of Namibians are under 35.She said that potential would become a demographic dividend only if Namibia deliberately invested in human capital.Nandi-Ndaitwah pointed to government's decision to subsidise university and vocational training, saying it ensures young Namibians are not kept from further study because their parents cannot afford it.She said government could not achieve this alone and called for greater involvement from the private sector and civil society.“Our government believes in private-public partnership. Our government believes in the work of civil societies who have the programmes that are focusing on our priority areas.”Nandi-Ndaitwah said organisations such as the One Economy Foundation complement government efforts.She said the foundation provides beneficiaries with market-relevant skills while supporting micro-enterprises through access to capital and mentorship.She also highlighted the foundation's healthcare outreach programmes, which provide free services to some communities.Nandi-Ndaitwah said economic transformation must be accompanied by social transformation, describing social capital as a strategic national asset.“Therefore, empowering the youth is the best investment a nation can make to enable the next generation to drive sustainable growth and development of our country.”

Wealthier Namibians have ‘it very tough’, president says

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-05

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Wealthier Namibians have ‘it very tough’, president says

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-05

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