Skilled workers fear nepotism shuts them out

Namibia’s unemployment rate currently stands at 36.9%, with youth unemployment at 44.4%, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released earlier this year by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).Several reports have pointed to a concerning trend of graduates struggling to secure employment despite their qualifications.The NSA survey also reported that just 20.2% of individuals with tertiary education are employed, compared to 53.9% of those with only a Grade 12 qualification.The findings raise concerns about the availability of opportunities for skilled and qualified workers, with some experts suggesting that nepotism may be a contributing factor.Closed doors Speaking on NTV's Evening Review programme recently, Professor Mesias Alfeus, a Namibian academic based in South Africa, shared his experience of struggling to find work in his home country after completing his studies.Despite his impressive credentials – Alfeus is a senior university lecturer at Stellenbosch University's department of statistics and actuarial sciences – he was unable to secure even an interview or an acknowledgement of his applications from various institutions. This prompted him to seek employment elsewhere."I tried to gain employment in Namibia by applying to various institutions such as Unam, NUST, the Bank of Namibia and DBN, but I did not even receive a response to say that my applications had been unsuccessful," he said.Although he currently serves as a specialist consultant for the FirstRand Group in South Africa, with a wealth of expertise to offer, no Namibian company was willing to hire him, even on a consultancy basis, the professor said. "It worries me that, for instance, I can easily get a job in Australia, at the University of Cape Town, or at Stellenbosch University on merit alone, without knowing anyone in those specific institutions,” Alfeus said.“What I have come to conclude is that in Namibia, you get a job based on who you know within the particular company or institution."While Alfeus was fortunate to secure employment abroad, the reality for many qualified Namibians is that they continue to struggle to find opportunities at home.Personal connections Jesse Amunyela, who holds a bachelor's degree in international relations, specialising in regional economic integration and policy formulation from Lesya Ukrainka East European University, has faced similar frustrations. After completing his studies and returning to Namibia in 2017, he has found it extremely difficult to find work. Over the past nine years, he has only ever received feedback on one application, despite consistent efforts.Amunyela believes that employment opportunities in Namibia often hinge on personal connections."People tend to offer preferential treatment to those within their close network of associates, and unfortunately, this greatly undermines the credibility and competence of our institutions," he said.He stressed that networking is as vital as qualifications when trying to find work in the country."Networking and creating a social identity are critical in building relationships with potential employers. You have to put yourself out there, and, in some cases, people find themselves in compromising situations just to secure a job," he said, warning that "this also leads to the exploitation of job seekers."Friendly relations Labour expert Herbert Jauch said that nepotism has existed for ages in the job market and is particularly pronounced in countries with small populations. It was a common practice to employ family members ahead of outsiders, ensuring that money stayed within family networks.Jauch said in his view the issue of nepotism has not been tackled systematically in independent Namibia, with existing gaps still present that allow insiders to ‘make way’ or create opportunities for the benefit of their own people."It was often not seen as a big problem, and therefore we hardly had any cases going to the labour commission or labour courts where people would say they were denied an opportunity because of nepotism," he noted.Moreover, he said: "It’s also something difficult to prove, and therefore not much has been done around it."Herbert further added that urgent reforms are needed to ensure that recruitment is based on merit and transparency."Panels that take decisions would need to be required to put the cards openly on the table if they are connected to the applicant either through family or friendship ties," he advised.Moreover, he suggested that an appeal process should be in place "so that if somebody feels he or she has the skills and should have been appointed on merit but wasn’t, an appeal process can kick in very quickly to clarify the issues."

Skilled workers fear nepotism shuts them out

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-13

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Skilled workers fear nepotism shuts them out

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-13

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