IMELDA AMBONDO
Namibia is training workers for jobs that barely exist, and experts warn the mismatch is threatening the country’s future.
The Namibia State of Skills Demand and Supply Report, released on Monday said the skills Namibians have do not match what employers want.
The report was released by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB).
“In light of the above-mentioned factors, Namibia experiences a skills mismatch between the skills supplied by the labour force and the skills demanded by employers,” the report states.
Despite a young population and expanding schools, Namibia struggles to turn youth into productive employees. The population passed three million in 2023, with 37 percent under 15 and a median age of 22. Urban and rural populations are nearly equal. Yet, out of 1.876 million working-age Namibians, only 867,247 are in the labour force. Unemployment stands at 36.9 percent. More than half of the potential workforce is not contributing to the economy.
NIPDB CEO Nangula Uaandja said Namibia is a country that has some of the highest unemployment rates.” She said the nation has the potential to provide 500,000 jobs by 2030, as promised by the president. “But in order to do that there are things that need to be done right and differently. The report being launched today looks at how we match demand and supply.”
GAPS IN EDUCATION
The report highlights gaps in education. Primary completion dropped from 48.5% in 2011 to 44.7% in 2023. Secondary completion rose slightly to 24.8%. Tertiary attainment doubled from 5.8% to 11.8%, but still falls short of labour market needs. High repetition rates and early school leaving make matters worse. “Nearly 80 % of learners failed the 2023 NSSCO and NSSCAS examinations,” the report says, leaving few ready for vocational or higher education.
Technical and vocational training remains weak. Only 14% of trainees graduated in 2020. The report said higher education produces too many graduates in fields like business administration and education, while sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, health, construction, and digital services cannot find skilled workers.
The report also warns Namibia is unprepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Namibia has an inadequate skills base and legislative framework to support the 4IR,” it says, citing poor digital skills, weak ICT infrastructure, lack of capital, and difficulty integrating new technologies into workplaces.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Dino Balloti said, “Our economy is undergoing a structural transformation from a simple to a more complex model, in sectors such as renewable energy, manufacturing and cultural digital service demand in workforce equipped with cutting-edge skills.”
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