President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s decision to integrate Trade into the Ministry of International Relations deserves praise. It is a smart move, one that aligns Namibia’s foreign policy with the urgent need to attract investment. It tells the world that Namibia is ready to do business. But the bigger question is, how easy is it to actually do business here?
The truth is, Namibia offers plenty of opportunities. We have political stability, rich natural resources, and a location that opens doors to regional markets. On paper, we look attractive. Yet, the reality on the ground often tells a different story. Investors quickly find themselves caught in a web of bureaucracy and inefficiency. The country ranks 104th out of 190 economies in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business survey. That ranking is more than just a number, it’s a warning sign that we are not keeping pace with the rest of the world.
Take the Business and Intellectual Property Authority, BIPA, for example. It was set up to make life easier for businesses and to protect intellectual property. Instead, it has become a mirror reflecting our bigger challenges. Entrepreneurs complain of endless delays in registering companies. Processing times drag on, systems crawl, and costs pile up. The paperwork is dense and full of legal jargon that confuses more than it clarifies. And because much of the process is still manual, it opens the door to corruption, where an “unofficial payment” can suddenly speed things up.
There’s also a lack of awareness about intellectual property rights. Many Namibians don’t know how to protect their ideas, while foreign investors see little incentive to put their money into local innovations because enforcement is weak. In short, the very institution that should be encouraging business and creativity often ends up discouraging both.
Now, compare this to what is happening elsewhere. Rwanda, for example, is a country that has transformed itself into one of Africa’s easiest places to do business. There, registering a company takes less than 48 hours and you can do it all online. Investors don’t have to run from office to office or deal with layers of bureaucracy. Rwanda has a single agency, the Rwanda Development Board, where everything is streamlined. Add to that a zero-tolerance stance on corruption and a strong focus on protecting intellectual property, and you have a system that works for the investor, not against them.
Look at Mauritius. This small island nation has consistently outperformed the rest of Africa in terms of ease of doing business. Why? Because it simplified taxes, cleaned up its regulations, and built a reputation as a safe, efficient place for financial services and tech companies. Businesses there don’t waste time on red tape they get things done.
Or consider Vietnam, a country that not too long ago was mired in bureaucracy and poverty. Through sweeping reforms, it opened up to foreign investment, slashed unnecessary regulations, and invested heavily in infrastructure. Today, Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse attracting global giants.
Even Dubai offers lessons. With its free zones, fast-track business setups, and digital government services, it has branded itself as an investment destination. It’s not just about the glitzy skyline, it’s about making the process seamless and investor-friendly.
These countries didn’t get lucky. They made deliberate choices to dismantle bureaucracy, digitize their systems, and build confidence among investors. Namibia can do the same, but it requires bold action.
This is where leadership must get bold. Perhaps what Namibia needs is a trade czar, a high-level figure, fully empowered and accountable, whose sole mandate is to tear down the obstacles choking investment. This is not about creating yet another office with a fancy title and no teeth. It’s about appointing someone who can cut across silos, challenge entrenched bureaucracy, and make the hard calls to align policy with action. Other countries have done it. Rwanda’s Paul Kagame personally drove reforms, ensuring every agency worked toward a single goal: making business easy. Singapore’s transformation was not an accident; it was steered by leaders who were relentless in their execution. Namibia could use that kind of laser-focused energy.
And speaking of agencies, it’s time we had an honest conversation about the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB). When it was created, it promised to be the bridge between investors and opportunity, a champion for business development. But is it really delivering on that promise? Or has it become just another layer in an already complicated structure? Hard conversations must be had, because there is nothing sacred about an institution that fails to serve its purpose. Too often in Namibia, we fall into the trap of, “something was created, so we must continue with it,” even when it’s clear it’s not working.
A proper review of NIPDB’s operations and functions is overdue. Does it have the right mandate? Are investors actually finding it useful, or are they still drowning in red tape despite its existence? Is it empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs, or is it catering only to the big players who can navigate the system regardless? These are the questions that need to be asked, not in closed-door meetings with polite answers, but in public, with accountability and a willingness to overhaul what isn’t working.
Namibia cannot afford to treat investment promotion as a box-ticking exercise. The stakes are too high. Our youth unemployment is staggering, our SMEs are struggling to access finance, and our global ranking in ease of doing business is embarrassing. Investors have choices, and they will choose places where their money and ideas are welcomed, not suffocated by paperwork and inefficiency.
The world is not standing still while Namibia deliberates. Rwanda is moving. Mauritius is moving. Vietnam, Dubai, and many others have sprinted ahead. They didn’t cling to institutions that were failing; they reformed them, replaced them, or shut them down. They empowered leaders to drive change and held them accountable for results.
Namibia has the resources, the stability, and now a president with a vision. But vision without reform is like a car without an engine, it goes nowhere. We need to build that engine, piece by piece, by cutting through bureaucracy, modernizing our systems, reviewing our institutions, and putting the right people in charge.
If we want to compete, we must do what others dared to do: we must reform, even when it’s uncomfortable. Because only then will Namibia shift from being a land of untapped promise to a land of undeniable performance.
