Hugh Masekela in his famous song ‘Stimela’ tells a story of African workers carried by a train into systems of labour that demanded their labour but disregarded their dignity.
Today, many young Namibians are boarding a different kind of train – the internship system.
Internships are presented as opportunities and marketed as experience. But for many graduates and students, they have become a cycle of underpaid work, delayed independence, and professional uncertainty.
Namibia’s youth unemployment rate stands at 44.4% and while it is an issue the country struggles with, it would be ignorant to not applaud the efforts the government and private sector have made to try and address this issue.
In 2019, the Namibia National Internship Programme was launched to address challenges graduates face when trying to enter the job market. Under the sixth National Development Plan, access to internships in both the public and private sector are also recognised as one way to strengthen youth employability.
On paper, this makes sense. But on the ground, the reality is more complicated.
Today, companies frequently advertise internship positions instead of actual fixed-term or permanent jobs, with interns either being underpaid or not paid at all. Interns by their very definition are supposed to observe, learn and assist.
However, they perform the exact same duties of permanent employees, all while still receiving an ‘allowance’ or intern stipend. This is where the internship model becomes exploitative. Even more concerning is the ‘pay-to-work’ internship model some companies have, an internship where students or graduates are expected to pay in order to gain work experience.
While the intentions of the Namibia National Internship Programme are splendid, the programme as it currently operates serves employers far more than it serves young Namibians and should be remodelled.
REFORM AND REGULATION
The government’s decision to revise the stipends for apprentices, interns, and graduate interns is a step in the right direction. But it should not be mistaken for reform.
A meaningful solution requires a clear regulatory framework for internships that protects young employees both in the public and private sectors.
Internships in Namibia are not completely unregulated, there are policies, tax measures and institutional efforts aimed at improving work integrated learning and youth employability, however, the country still does not have a clear and comprehensive regulatory framework specifically governing internships, across both the public and private sectors.
Interns in Namibia earn anywhere between N$2 500 to N$3 500, with a few private sector companies offering more.
However, given our household poverty index, inequality levels and current economic climate, this is simply not enough for interns to survive with dignity.
Internships should pay interns a fair and realistic amount that fits today’s economy.
There should be a classification between student internships, where they are compensated through experience, transport allowance and food allowance, and graduate internship, where graduates receive a stipend that reflects the true cost of living.
These are not radical recommendations. They are simply a basis for any initiative that is serious about youth development.
Finally, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board should build on its existing mandate.
Rather than maintaining the position that companies are not mandated and obligated to employ interns, the NIPDB should introduce a policy that rewards employers who turn internships into real jobs, with the State offering additional incentives for those that abide
The point is not that internships are useless, but that internships must be modelled in a way that it benefits all the parties involved, especially young people, whose end goal is not trivial exposure and experience, but meaningful employment.
Masekela’s train carried workers into systems designed for someone else’s benefit.
The internship system, as it stands, risks doing the same.
Rivaldo Kavanga is a law graduate from the University of Namibia and the host of Situation KriTiKaL. The views expressed are his own. He can be reached at rivaldokavanga22@gmail.com
