Savings movement grows into major housing partner

What began with low-income Namibians pooling small amounts of money in community savings groups has developed into a national movement that has influenced housing, land access and informal settlement upgrading.Members of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN), which is supported by the Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG) and affiliated to Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI), reflected on the movement's journey from savings groups established in the late 1980s to a community-led housing network operating across the country.The roots of the movement date to 1987, when low-income residents, including people living in overcrowded rented rooms and backyard structures, began organising savings groups to improve their living conditions. The initiative was supported by people linked to the Roman Catholic Church and later developed connections with housing movements elsewhere in southern Africa.Eva Manga, a member of PP Squared of Samstang, said he had been involved since the movement's early years, while Anna Muller, who has worked with the community movement since 1987, said international exchanges became an important way for Namibian communities to learn from counterparts elsewhere.Those exchanges exposed participants to practical approaches to land, housing, community savings, informal settlement enumeration, mapping and the development of community databases.The Namibia Housing Action Group was established in 1992 as an umbrella organisation supporting community housing groups. The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia was subsequently established in October 1998 by 30 grassroots housing groups that had been active since the late 1980s.A central feature of the movement was changing the way communities saved so that even households with very limited incomes could participate.“More people could participate,” Muller explained, noting that fixed savings could exclude people who were unable to put aside larger amounts at once.The movement also established the Twahangana Fund, a community-based revolving development fund through which savings groups could access financing for housing and related development.International exchanges, particularly with communities in countries including South Africa and India, became another important part of the model. Participants said the exchanges were not confined to house construction but covered savings management, settlement enumeration, mapping, databases and other community-led development methods.One participant recalled travelling to Zimbabwe through an SDI exchange to learn about enumeration before becoming involved in developing methods for compiling community information and establishing databases.She also recalled being among the first women involved in informal settlement mapping, with assistance from South African counterparts.The model placed residents at the centre of development. Communities saved their own money, gathered information about their settlements and participated directly in identifying solutions to housing, land and infrastructure problems.Young people, older residents and other community members were drawn into the process, while younger members have increasingly become involved in savings groups, informal settlement upgrading, enumeration and international exchanges.Own resourcesParticipants recalled that the community savings model eventually changed the relationship between the movement and government. Instead of approaching the state solely for assistance, communities could demonstrate that they were already contributing their own resources towards housing and land development.Government support subsequently became an important part of expanding the model, with public funding combined with community savings, self-help and repayments.Government committed about N$137 million for the construction of 3 106 houses through SDFN, funded through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.Participants said about 2 000 houses had been completed within a year under the broader housing drive, although this figure requires confirmation against the latest national implementation figures.The approach extends beyond building houses and includes securing and servicing land, collecting settlement data and upgrading informal settlements. SDFN and NHAG's community-led model has also influenced national housing policy, with the 2023 National Housing Policy recognising community-led housing as part of housing delivery.For people who have been involved since the movement's early years, the anniversary represents more than the longevity of an organisation. It reflects the development of a model in which low-income communities organise, save and participate directly in improving their settlements while using their collective resources to leverage support from government and other partners.Participants said the next challenge is ensuring that the experience accumulated over the past three decades is transferred to younger generations, who are increasingly participating in SDFN activities nationally and internationally.After decades of savings, exchanges and community organising, the principle underpinning the movement remains largely unchanged: communities contribute their own resources and knowledge, organise collectively and use that foundation to secure wider support for housing and development.aurelia@nmh-hub.com.na

Savings movement grows into major housing partner

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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Savings movement grows into major housing partner

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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