Namibian youth least interested in business in Africa

Young people in Namibia are among the least interested in starting their own businesses compared to their peers across Africa.

This is according to a new Afrobarometer survey on barriers to youth empowerment.

The survey is based on 50 961 face-to-face interviews conducted in 38 African countries during Afrobarometer’s Round 10 surveys in 2024 and 2025.

The Afrobarometer Policy Paper, released in December 2025, shows that only 19% of Namibians aged 18 to 35 say they would prefer to start their own business if given a choice of employment sectors.

This is the lowest level of interest in entrepreneurship among the 38 African countries surveyed.

Across the continent, a majority of young people favour entrepreneurship, with an average of 52% saying they would prefer to work for themselves.

Interest is particularly strong in west and east Africa, where more than half of young people favour starting a business. In contrast, southern Africa records lower levels of interest, with Namibia ranking at the bottom.

The report notes that entrepreneurship preferences vary widely by country and may reflect differences in the availability of formal employment opportunities.

In countries where formal jobs are limited, entrepreneurship may be seen as a necessity rather than a choice.

The survey further shows that while entrepreneurship is the most preferred option overall among African youth, public-sector employment remains the second-most popular choice.

About 25% of young Africans say they would prefer to work for the government, compared to 13% who favour the private sector and 6% who prefer non-governmental organisations.

Afrobarometer’s findings also highlight broader employment challenges facing young people across Africa.

Despite improved access to education compared to older generations, educational gains have not translated into employment opportunities, particularly for younger youth aged 18 to 25.

Nearly 45% of Africans aged 18 to 25 say they are unemployed and actively looking for work, while young people in rural areas are significantly more likely to be outside both education and employment than those in urban areas.

According to the report, young Africans identify the lack of adequate training, insufficient work experience and mismatches between training and employer needs as the main barriers to employment.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says to change this situation, Namibia needs to make it easier and safer for young people to try entrepreneurship.

“This means improving access to affordable funding, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and providing practical support such as mentorship, business training and access to markets.

Young entrepreneurs need to feel that failure will not destroy their future, but that there are second chances and real support systems in place,” he says.

He adds: “The fact that only 19% of Namibian youth want to start their own businesses tells us that young people do not see the economy as supportive or friendly to new ideas.”

According to Kamwanyah, many young people are facing high unemployment, high living costs and limited access to money to start a business.

“When the economy is slow and opportunities are scarce, taking risks feels dangerous rather than exciting,” he says.

Community activist Renciah Kooper says this statistic does not necessarily reflect a lack of ambition or creativity among Namibian youth; rather, it points to an environment that is perceived as risky and unsupportive for entrepreneurship.

“Many young people face significant barriers such as limited access to startup capital, stringent lending requirements, high costs of doing business and inadequate mentorship and business development support,” she says.

She further agrees that Namibia is facing a serious mismatch between education outcomes and the labour market.

“While more young people are attaining post-secondary qualifications, the economy is not creating enough jobs to absorb them.

In some cases, the skills and competencies provided by the education system do not align with the needs of employers or the demands of key growth sectors,” she says.

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