11/11/2025
In a defining moment for Namibia’s economic transformation journey, the National Diagnostic of Informality in Namibia was launched today at the Secretariat of the National Working Group on Informality, housed at the Central Bank of Namibia.
The launch unveiled a comprehensive three-step series:
Step 1: Overview of Informality in Namibia
Step 2: Sectoral Analysis Report
Step 3: Policy Framework and Roadmap
Collaborative Architecture Behind the Report
Hilda Basson Namundjebo, Managing Director of Oxygen, expressed that seeing the report launched was deeply gratifying.
“This diagnostic gives visibility and dignity to a segment that has too often operated in silence. For the first time, the informal economy has a measurable share of voice in the national conversation. Policymakers must now take heed and respond to the real pain points of those driving this economy from the ground up.”
The diagnostic is the result of extensive collaboration under the coordination of the National Working Group, supported by the Government of Namibia, the United Nations System, and key development partners. Oxygen, working alongside Synergy Business Advisory & Consultancy and Genesis Analytics, played a strategic role in identifying, aligning, and engaging the relevant stakeholders across sectors ensuring the report reflects a truly national perspective.
Through this collaboration, the diagnostic evolved into a living document that connects the realities of Namibia’s informal traders to the frameworks that will guide formalization, inclusion, and reform.
Keynote Address Highlights
Delivering the keynote, Mr. Michael Humavindu, Executive Director in the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, underscored the importance of recognizing the informal economy as a pillar of national life.
“This sector is not a side economy it is the engine room where 58% of our workforce finds their livelihood. The informal economy contributes nearly a quarter of Namibia’s GDP, representing over N$13 billion. It is time we accord it the dignity and respect it deserves.”
He emphasized that the informal economy does not need sympathy, but policy, supportive legislation, reform, investment, and respect reaffirming government’s commitment to elevate it as a productive and protected part of the national economy.
UN: Turning Data into Dignity
Ms. Hopolang Phororo, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Namibia, commended the diagnostic as a model for inclusive, evidence-based policymaking.“These are not just statistics they are stories of mothers growing food, youth building businesses, and families sustaining livelihoods. The transition to formality is not a single leap, but a journey gradual, inclusive, and deeply human.”
She noted that the Policy Framework and Roadmap align Namibia’s ambitions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. This alignment positions Namibia as a pathfinding country under the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.
From Research to Reform
The diagnostic provides a roadmap for legal reforms, inclusive finance, fit-for-purpose business registration systems, spatial justice, and digital integration, aimed at strengthening the informal sector’s contribution to economic resilience and social protection.
As Humavindu concluded:
“Namibia will no longer build two economies one seen and one surviving. Those who feed us, move us, and clothe us must stand within the gates of policy recognition and economic protection.”
