Patience Makwele
Institutional investors have been urged to direct more capital toward projects that support Namibia’s long-term economic development.
The call was made during the recently concluded 5th Annual Namibia Institutional Investors Forum (NIIF) 2026.
The forum brought together pension funds, asset managers, development finance institutions and policymakers to discuss how institutional savings can support economic growth.
Speaking at the forum, Monasa Advisory and Associates managing director Jason Kasuto said Namibia faces an important moment as new economic opportunities emerge.
Kasuto said Namibia’s economic outlook over the next decade is expected to improve, supported by developments in mining and the emerging hydrocarbons industry.
“We forecast that real GDP growth in Namibia will average 6.1% between 2026 and 2035, which is well above the 1.3% average recorded between 2015 and 2024,” he said.
He said growth alone will not secure long-term development if the country does not address structural weaknesses in the economy.
“Our dependency as a nation on global volatility is a direct result of our slow pace in structural diversification,” Kasuto said.
He stated that external shocks, such as geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global supply chains, continue to expose smaller economies like Namibia.
Kasuto said institutional investors, particularly pension funds, manage large pools of long-term savings and can play a role in supporting projects that expand productive sectors and create jobs.
The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) is Namibia’s largest pension fund and manages assets valued at more than N$180 billion.
Analysts suggest that directing more capital towards domestic investment could enable these funds to support projects in infrastructure development, renewable energy, and industrial expansion.
Kasuto said investors should look beyond strategies that focus only on short-term returns.
Instead, he urged institutional investors to demonstrate what he described as “fiduciary courage”, which means investing in projects that support economic transformation while protecting the long-term interests of beneficiaries.
“To move from fiduciary duty to fiduciary courage, we must deploy capital into projects that turn our resources into finished or semi-finished products, our students into specialised technicians and our small businesses into regional and global suppliers,” he said.
Participants at the forum discussed how institutional capital can support infrastructure development, renewable energy projects and investment in critical minerals.
They also examined how Namibia can benefit from the global shift toward cleaner energy and rising demand for minerals used in modern technologies.
Speakers at the forum said Namibia must ensure more value is created locally instead of exporting raw materials without further processing.
Kasuto said strengthening local capacity will help the country reduce dependence on global market conditions.
“Our vision for Namibia and for Africa cannot be anchored in the hope that global markets remain calm,” he said.
“It must be anchored in the reality of building local capacity.”
He said Namibia’s domestic savings can become an important driver of development if used strategically.
“Let us decide that Namibian savings will be the primary engine that drives us toward Vision 2030, regardless of the winds blowing from global markets,” Kasuto said.
