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Management, Growth, Resource Utilisation for Namibian Tertiary Students in 2025

Moses Waiganjo

As the new academic year kicks off for 2025, Namibian university students are not only focused on excelling at their studies, but also exploring exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Many students are beginning to realise the immense potential of starting their own businesses, being tenderpreneurs, managing their time effectively and utilising available resources to grow their ideas and make money.

For students looking to start a business while managing academic responsibilities, time management is crucial. Balancing coursework, a social life, and entrepreneurial ventures requires careful planning and a strategic approach with the free time they have.

Start by identifying your priorities.

Time management tools like calendars, to-do lists and productivity apps can help students organise their day and stay on track. Use your university’s academic schedule to map out when you can dedicate focused blocks of time to your business. Time blocking is a method where you allocate specific hours in the day to studying, your business, and relaxing.

One effective strategy is the Pomodoro technique where you work for 25 minutes followed by a short break. This method can help students maintain high levels of concentration while preventing burnout.

Additionally, it’s important to remember consistency is key. Rather than cramming all your work into one day, make a habit of dedicating small, regular chunks of time to both your studies and your business. This way, both areas can flourish without overwhelming you.

Starting a business while at university is an opportunity for tremendous personal growth. Beyond learning academic concepts, students should embrace an entrepreneurial mindset that fosters resilience, creativity and problem solving.

The key to growth as an entrepreneur is the ability to learn from both success and failure. Failure is not an obstacle but a learning experience. Many successful entrepreneurs have faced setbacks, but they have used them as stepping stones to improve their businesses. Students should approach their business ventures with a growth mindset – seeing challenges as opportunities for innovation and improvement.

Personal growth can be cultivated through continuous learning. Seek out resources such as online courses, books, or workshops that can help develop your entrepreneurial skills. Whether it’s marketing, finance, or leadership, there is always more to learn. Attending business seminars, start-up competitions, or networking events will help you stay inspired and informed about trends in your industry.

Starting a business requires a strong focus on turning ideas into tangible results.

For many students, the first challenge is identifying a business idea that aligns with their passion and skills while solving a problem in the market. Whether it’s launching an e-commerce store, offering tutoring services, or creating a new app, the key is to identify a gap in the market and develop a unique solution.

Once the business idea is set, students need to focus on the execution. Start small.

Begin by testing your product or service with a small group of customers to gather feedback and improve. Developing a clear business plan, setting realistic goals and defining success metrics will keep you focused as you move forward with your venture.

Additionally, managing finances is one of the most crucial aspects of running a successful business.

Create a budget for your business, track expenses and identify ways to save. As you earn revenue, reinvest in your business to ensure growth. Taking a business-focused approach from the start will lay the foundation for future success.

For students looking to make money while pursuing their degrees, there are many opportunities to monetise skills and talents.

Whether you’re offering freelance services, selling products online, or tutoring, your skillset can become a profitable venture.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

There are businesses that don’t need capital, like freelance work for example. Students with skills in graphic design, writing, social media management, or programming can take on freelance projects and make money.

Platforms like Upwork or Fiverr provide a global marketplace to find clients while local networking can lead to more personalised opportunities.

Universities are more than just places of learning; they are hubs of resources and support for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Take full advantage of what your institution offers to help launch and grow your business.

This year is full of opportunities for university students in Namibia to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. As you begin your entrepreneurial journey this year, remember that success doesn’t happen overnight.

Stay persistent, keep learning and take full advantage.

  • Moses Waiganjo is a senior lecturer/work-integrated learning coordinator at the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s department of governance and management sciences.

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