‘Creative industries can contribute to economy’

Higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi said developing creative industries can open employment prospects for the youth and women.

Kandjii-Murangi was speaking at the 2024 Creative Entrepreneurship Academy conference that kicked off in Windhoek on Wednesday.

“Our youth who will participate in this programme are expected to acquire knowledge about product development, entrepreneurship, the circular economy and digital technologies,” she said.

The conference, in partnership with the Namibia and Estonia National Commission for Unesco, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Loov Eesti and Viljandi Culture Academy from Estonia and the University of Namibia, was hosted under the theme ‘The Role of Education in Preserving and Digitizing Cultural Heritage.’ It aims to raise awareness on digital technologies and how the youth can leverage heritage based and creative economies.

The initiative to develop heritage-based digital skills and entrepreneurship in Namibia is funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (EstDEV).

Kandjii-Murangi said unlocking the creative economy will significantly contribute to the global economy that comprises 3,1% of the total global gross domestic product in 2020.

She said the industry created 50 million jobs worldwide, accounting for 3% of the global trade in goods and 21% of the global trade in services in 2020.

The priority of the ministry is to develop a workforce with suitable knowledge and skills to succeed within the creative industries. This includes more investment in technical and vocational, education and training (TVET) skills and quality knowledge for students and others wishing to work in the creative industries.

The Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) and the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) are developing new TVET programmes that aim to build skills for the creative industries.