STAFF WRITER
Namibia has maintained its second position as the second-ranked startup ecosystem in Southern Africa, after South Africa.
This was recognised in the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index (GSEI) 2026.
Globally Namibia ranked 94 and is positioned on number 10 in Africa.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Namibia Investment Promotion Development Board (NIPDB), Acting Executive: Competitiveness and Branding, Catherine Shipushu said Namibia also ranked fourth in Africa in the Ecosystem Attractiveness Functional Category due to the country’s visibility as an emerging innovation and entrepreneurship destination.
“Notwithstanding its comparatively smaller market size, Namibia continues to rank alongside some of Africa’s more established startup ecosystems, including Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria, reinforcing the country’s growing position in the continental innovation landscape,” Shipushu said.
The StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index evaluates startup ecosystems worldwide using indicators relating to startup activity, ecosystem quality, and business environment conditions.
Despite recording ecosystem growth of 8.2%, Namibia moved down nine
positions globally from 85th in 2025, as a result of accelerated growth among peer ecosystems and increasing competitiveness within the global startup landscape. Windhoek also ranked 525th globally, declining by 13 positions despite recording an ecosystem growth of 20.3%.
Shipushu said Namibia continues to demonstrate encouraging ecosystem fundamentals, including a supportive business environment, entrepreneurship support infrastructure, stronger ecosystem coordination, and increasing international visibility as an emerging innovation destination, as evidenced by its strong performance in the Ecosystem Attractiveness Functional Category.
NIPDB in collaboration with the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), established ScaleUp Namibia as a national ecosystem coordination initiative.
Since its inception in 2024, the network has expanded to 18 members – enhancing collaboration and coordination of startup support services across the ecosystem.
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