🇳🇦NamibiaSouthern Africa
Namibia's competitiveness ranking drops due to business and investment challenges
via The Namibian4 min read
Namibia has fallen one place to 69th out of 70 countries in the 2026 International Institute for Management Development IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. Despite maintaining price stability, ranking eighth globally for controlling inflation with a 3.51% rate in 2025, the country faces significant hurdles in fostering business growth, attracting investment, and expanding economic opportunities. The report highlights issues such as government financial pressures, high borrowing costs, limited funding for small businesses, and infrastructure gaps. Namibia performed poorly in domestic economic activity, attracting international investment, and basic, technology, and scientific infrastructure. Economic growth remains slow at 1.7% real gross domestic product GDP growth, with a heavy reliance on mining and other primary industries, making the N$70 billion economy vulnerable to global commodity price fluctuations. The IMD recommends that Namibia diversify its economy beyond traditional sectors, improve infrastructure, enhance access to finance for businesses, and strengthen government systems.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Must ReadThe Eastern Africa Editors Society EAES has called for the complete withdrawal of military personnel from Ugandan media premises, characterizing their presence as an attack on press freedom. This demand comes after the closure of Ugandan TV stations, newspapers, and radio outlets by army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni. Kainerugaba stated in an X post, "I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," and indicated the outlets would not reopen without his permission. EAES president Fitihawok Yewondwossen stated that using military action to close media houses undermines constitutional governance, erodes public confidence, and threatens the free flow of information. He demanded the immediate reopening of all affected media outlets and full guarantees for the safety and freedom of journalists and media workers. Yewondwossen urged the African Union, the East African Community, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to condemn this "dangerous escalation" and advocate for the restoration of media freedom in Uganda. The closed outlets include the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, and associated nation media group broadcasting platforms. The EAES is an umbrella organization for editor organizations in eastern Africa, working to advance media freedom and journalistic excellence.
Must ReadRössing Uranium, majority-owned by China National Uranium Corporation, reported its highest uranium oxide production in over a decade in 2025, generating more than N$1 billion in profit. The company's 2025 sustainability and performance report indicates N$750 million was paid in taxes, royalties, and dividends in Namibia. Rössing processed 10 million tonnes of ore, the highest mill throughput since 2013, and produced over 3,000 tonnes of uranium oxide, a first since 2010. Namibia is now the third-largest primary producer of uranium oxide globally. Managing director Joan Coetzee attributed the performance to employees, contractors, and stakeholders. The company also decreased injuries in 2025 compared to 2024, with one permanent disabling injury, and invested N$27 million in skills development and N$46 million in community initiatives. Minister of industries, mines and energy Modestus Amutse praised Rössing as a reliable partner, highlighting its N$5.2 billion expenditure on local suppliers, representing 84% of total procurement. Rössing employs 855 people, with 98.9% being Namibian. Amutse emphasized Namibia's strong position in uranium production to meet global demand for cleaner energy and called for a shift towards higher-value beneficiation in the mining sector.
Namibia's oil and gas sector is poised for digital transformation, but faces significant hurdles, including a shortage of skilled professionals, inadequate digital infrastructure, and cybersecurity risks. The country can currently meet only about 45% of the technical skills required by the sector, necessitating investment in education, vocational training, and knowledge transfer programs to reduce reliance on foreign expertise. Developing robust digital infrastructure, such as high-speed internet and remote monitoring systems, is crucial for effective real-time data exchange and operations, especially given Namibia's vast geography. Furthermore, the integration of digital systems increases vulnerability to cyber threats, making strong regulatory frameworks, international best practices, and national cyber defense capabilities essential. Successful digitization also requires coordination among government agencies, private companies, academic institutions, and international partners, with public-private partnerships playing a key role in resource mobilization and innovation. Despite these challenges, digitization offers Namibia a unique opportunity for inclusive economic growth by creating jobs in emerging fields and supporting environmental sustainability. The country must prioritize digitization through coordinated investment, strong governance, and a commitment to skills development to unlock the full potential of its oil and gas resources and build a resilient, knowledge-dr