Namibians need N$44,000 monthly salary to afford average homes

This financial requirement is out of reach for many, with 54.1% of adults earning N$2,000 or less per month. Housing expert Namene Kalili attributes the crisis to a severe housing shortage, noting that Namibia is not building enough homes to keep pace with population growth. He suggests the country needs to service around 5,000 plots annually, a target far from current achievements, as only 1,772 plots were fully serviced in the 2024/25 reporting period against a target of 10,000.

Economist Almandro Jansen explains that rising house prices are driven by increased construction and land costs, and a shortage of serviced land, rather than a surge in demand. He highlights that the cost of putting a new house on the market is increasing faster than the cost of living. The Mass Housing Development Programme has delivered an average of fewer than 500 houses per year since 2014, while the National Housing Enterprise estimated a housing backlog of about 300,000 units in 2025.

Simonis Storm estimates it would cost N$76 billion to clear this backlog, with the government allocating N$1.5 billion in the 2026/27 budget. The report also reveals that most Namibian homeowners built their homes 64% or bought them 24.4%, with only 6.9% using bank loans. Simonis Storm recommends t