The Costs of Raising Children

Children are expensive. This is not an understatement.

We often hear about the rising costs of nappies, formula, clothing, childcare and education… And all the other expenses involved in raising children. A majority of households rely on a salary or wages to get by, and thanks to inflation propelled by a series of events in and out of the country, it’s getting more difficult to raise a child. As an aspiring parent, are you ready to bear the costs? The Weekender looked into this issue.

There are a lot of aspects involved in taking care of a child until they are 18. As the Namibian Constitution states, one of the most important things a child has a right to is education. Because of reasons beyond their control, some parents are forced to take their child(ren) to creches or daycares and pick them up after work, for example.

Daycares cater for children up to six years old, offering several other activities such as babysitting, sports and keyboard lessons, however, the City of Windhoek states that “no child under six weeks of age, as verified by a birth certificate, should be cared for in a daycare facility”.

Depending where you go and which town you live in, costs could be anywhere between N$700 and N$2 000 per month, which may or may not include meals and snacks.

And then there’s preschool or kindergarten. These private or public establishments provide your children with early childhood education. Private preschools offer several extra activities such as sports and even holiday programmes which can, in total, go up to N$59 0000 per year (that’s about N$5 000 per month).

Public preschools could cost anywhere from N$3 000 per month, but let’s not forget registration fees are costly – schools are known to ask for a N$1 500 or more non-refundable fee.

Concerning primary and secondary school fees, the Namibian education ministry has declared that this is free for all children, if you are in a public school. However, there are costs that still plague parents such as matric farewells and extramural activities.

According to teacher Konnie Waandja, parents are required to fork out cash for school activities in public schools. “In case of stationery and toiletries, parents buy these for their children,” she says.

“They only pay less money for fundraising activities like Casual Day or Valentine’s Day.”

Private schools aren’t as giving. Tuition can range from N$3 000 to N$8 000 per month from primary to high school. Not to mention university tuition which costs over $10 000 a year, excluding books, stationery and transport costs. If your child opts to study out of the country, university costs can escalate to over N$50 000 per year, not including accommodation.

Single mom Beaulah Boois says there are several costs she has to take care of concerning her daughter. “For her alone, I pay for salon visits about twice a month to keep her hair looking neat for school. She goes to Fab Kidz, so that’s about N$360 per month. Then groceries for us both are about N$1 000 and about N$500 on fruits and yoghurt for her lunch box.”

And there’s more. “There are various school contributions for fundraising. I had to buy a school uniform for her new school, also clothes every three to four months as she’s growing pretty fast. I can spend about N$5 000 for some decent items at Pep.” On top of all these costs, Boois is still saving up for her child’s future. “I opened a savings account for her with Old Mutual, so that’s another N$500 per month.”

Extramural activities for her child have also been included in her budget, though. “She will be doing kiddies sport at school which is about N$540 per term, and then there’s the water and electricity, the bond for our flat and petrol to drop her at school and pick her up in the afternoons. It’s really difficult to put a monthly amount on what I spend on her specifically, because we live together and I count us both in just about everything I do.”

Selma Kaulinge, who is the mother of one son, adds that a lot goes into her child’s costs. “We pay for school fees, but my son does swimming, kiddies sports and inline hockey. There are birthdays he goes to, costs for food, haircuts, clothes, shelter, toys, medical aid and transport. It’s not going to be the same amount every month.”

According to the 2015/2016 Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the population has risen to over two million, with about 53,1% residing in rural areas, while 46,9% live in urban areas. Those in urban households rely on their salaries as their only source of income compared to rural households who have to hustle to get money.

So again, we ask: Are you financially ready to take care of a child?

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