National Housing Enterprise (NHE)’s manager of corporate communications and marketing, Mutonga Matali, talks to Observer Money about the company’s financial status, housing projects and the housing backlog on its books.
Observer Money (OM): Does the NHE sustain itself or make profit?
Mutonga Matali (MM): NHE sustains its operations through revenue generated from property sales, loan repayments and rental income, which is reinvested to expand the housing portfolio for the benefit of prospective clients. During the launch of the 2023/2024 annual report, NHE announced a N$6 million profit realised in 2024.
OM: Does the NHE depend on government funding to fund its operations?
MM: As a state-owned enterprise, NHE has received government recapitalisation to fund capital projects as a supplement to allow the entity to roll out more projects in line with the NHE mandate. This year, the government, through the ministry of urban and rural development, has committed to fund the implementation of the National Informal Settlement Upgrading Project, targeting 2000 housing units throughout the country.
OM: How many houses has the NHE built since its inception?
MM: Since its inception in 1993, NHE has built over 21 500 housing units in various localities, making it one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the country.
OM: What is the current housing backlog in Namibia?
MM: The Enterprise has 110 000 prospective homeowners registered on the NHE waiting list. However, this figure does not reflect the actual housing needs as individual situations change over time.
OM: What are some of the major housing projects that the NHE is occupied with at the moment?
MM: The NHE is currently servicing 546 plots in Katima Mulilo, while 67 plots are being serviced in Walvis Bay and 172 in Nkurenkuru. The NHE is also constructing 115 houses in Swakopmund under the Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme (ISUP). Meanwhile, NHE is finalising the completion of 52 houses in Okakarara and 34 in Mariental, with both projects at over 90% completion rate. NHE has also launched land servicing projects in Ongwediva, where 228 plots will be delivered.
OM: How many new houses are you planning to launch at the moment this year?
MM: NHE will develop 905 houses across the country; this is in addition to the 2000 houses to be delivered under the National Informal Settlement Upgrading Project.
OM: What is the latest regarding the unoccupied mass housing houses? How many are unoccupied, and what is NHE doing about it?
MM: NHE is mandated to allocate and sell houses delivered under the Mass Housing Development Programme. There are three sites with incomplete houses in Windhoek, Swakopmund and Opuwo, and the intention is to have all these houses occupied before the end of the year.
OM: Anything else to add?
MM: The NHE remains committed to its mandate of providing affordable housing and contributing to Namibia’s socio-economic development through innovation, formulating and maintaining strategic partnerships, and implementing sustainable solutions. A lot of groundwork has been done over the past few months to streamline our processes and ensure that houses are constructed with the necessary urgency without compromising on quality. We have revised our plans to accommodate issues of affordability and cut out on procurement delays with the appointment of a pool of contractors to serve for a period of three years.
