The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has launched a nationwide campaign aimed at increasing awareness and uptake of its financial products tailored specifically for young Namibians in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector.
The campaign, announced on Tuesday, seeks to tackle persistent youth unemployment by promoting DBN’s skills-based finance facility, which offers simplified access to funding for young artisans, professionals and entrepreneurs aged 35 and under.
While the bank approved N$74.6 million in SME funding during the 2024/25 financial year, only N$170 000 of that amount went to skills-based finance.
However, signs of improvement are emerging. In the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, the bank approved two youth-focused applications under this facility amounting to N$1.25 million, including the first-ever approval in the Zambezi region.
Despite this progress, DBN says the overall uptake remains far too low.
“It is worrisome that, despite Namibia’s high youth unemployment and our efforts to develop solutions tailored for young people, the uptake remains low.
We expect to change the undesirable status quo,” says DBN chief of marketing and corporate affairs Jerome Mutumba.
The campaign will use multiple platforms, including social media, regional roadshows, community outreach and stakeholder engagements, to ensure that young people across the country are informed of the opportunities available to them.
“We aim to make access to youth finance more inclusive.
That means meeting the youth where they are, breaking down barriers to entry, and working closely with stakeholders to amplify our reach,” Mutumba adds.
This initiative aligns with DBN’s broader mandate to promote inclusive economic participation and support national development by financing sustainable enterprises.
DBN urges young people with viable business ideas or marketable skills to visit its regional offices or upcoming outreach sessions for more information on how to apply.
