…Car guards make N$40 a day, while City makes N$5.8 million in parking fees
IMELDA AMBONDO and TIRI MASAWI
The City of Windhoek’s decision to privatise its parking system has enriched its coffers but left the parking attendants — the same people keeping the system running — earning far less than promised.
In 2023, the municipality awarded the parking management contract to ChargeTech Namibia, and KeyPlot Investments owned by property mogul Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun.
Since then, the venture has generated about N$5.8 million in parking fees, with contractors taking 35% of that revenue while the City pockets the rest, an increase from the N$600 000 collected annually before the deal.
Several parking attendants claim they signed contracts guaranteeing a monthly salary of about N$3700 but instead receive as little as N$1 500 to N$2 000.
City of Windhoek spokesperson Harold Akwenye did not revealk the earnings of ChargeTech Namibia and KeyPlot Investments but confirmed the deal has boosted the City’s revenue. “The City used to make about N$600,000 a year. So far the City has collected revenue to the value of N$2.9 million on average per year,” he told Namibia Business Review.
ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL
Every morning at 06:00, parking attendants take up their posts in bright yellow vests, working 12-hour shifts to keep Windhoek’s parking system operational. Behind those vests, however, are workers facing insults, refusals, and even threats from motorists.
For a 21-year-old parking attendant employed by one of the contractors, the challenges are constant. “Sometimes you issue the ticket and want the clients to pay, then they refuse. They insult you. Some even pull out a gun, saying we are robbing them,” he said preferring to remain anonymous.
Angelo Immanuel (Not real name) attends to more than 40 cars daily, making about N$600 a day for the joint venture. His colleague, a 30-year-old attendant, recounts similar experiences: “Some people never pay. Some insult you. Some run away with tickets.” According to her, she makes about N$300 to N$400 at quieter sites, rising to as much as N$800 in high-demand areas per day for the business owners. On busy days, she serves between 30 and 50 vehicles.
“Despite making money for the owners, our salaries are sometimes cut. Instead of getting paid N$3700, we end up being paid N$1500 to N$2000,” a parking attendant said.
Last year, a group of 23 parking attendants complained that their salaries were being deducted without their permission.
Questions sent to Tilahun-Namundjebo were not answered.
Despite poor pay, some attendants say the City of Windhoek’s partnership with ChargeTech Namibia, and KeyPlot Investments is working but communication with the public is poor. “Some clients are not aware of the parking system. They must put measures in place to force all customers to pay.”
The City of Windhoek’s decision to privatise its parking system has enriched its coffers but stripped away the livelihoods of men and women who once depended on informal car guarding for survival.
A HARD KNOCK LIFE
Everyday, 56-year-old Greggy Stephens walks through the streets of Windhoek’s city centre to the corner where he has stood for years. There is no uniform, no salary, and no guarantees, just a bag hanging over his shoulder and the hope of earning a few dollars to feed his family.
“I come here, sit, relax, take off my bag, and hang it up where I do every day,” Stephens said. “Then I watch. I observe how the parking lot is moving,” he adds.
Before the City brought in contractors, Stephens could make between N$40 and N$50 a day by watching over vehicles and receiving small tips from motorists. Now, he says, he earns way less than that.
“They told us to bring our CVs, to register,” he said. “Some of us are illiterate, yes, but we know how to use a cell phone. We can work. They didn’t even give us a chance.”
Stephens’ story reflects a broader reality. He said while Windhoek is modernising, informal workers are being pushed aside without training or support.
“There’s no reason they couldn’t have trained us,” he said. “Look at other people, a cleaner became a manager. He started at the bottom.”
For Stephens, survival has always been fragile. Once homeless, he was moved to Khomasdal Soccer Field during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We still come into town every day. We look after the cars. That’s how we survive,” he said.
But even that survival is under threat.
“Some days, there’s no money. You go hungry. Nothing for transport, nothing for food. Just from the hand to the mouth.”
Despite the hardship, Stephens finds hope in small gestures. A pastor offers soup and bread, a stranger once gifted his baby clothes and a jacket, and another gave him spectacles. He dreams of starting a small business selling fat cakes, but without money for flour, oil, and yeast, the dream remains out of reach.
“We don’t want handouts. We want chances. Learn while you work. That’s all we ask,” he said.
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