Staff Writer
Namibia has ranked first in Africa in the Market Perception Pillar of the StartupBlink Innovators Business Environment Index 2026.
This places the country at the top of the continent for institutional trust and governance credibility.
The ranking, released on Tuesday by StartupBlink, also places Namibia first in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Africa in the same category.
The index measures the conditions that support innovation, with a focus on ease of doing business, incentives and market perception.
It covers more than 125 countries and draws on over 30 indicators to assess how easily businesses can start, operate and build trust.
StartupBlink said Namibia’s performance reflects governance quality, transparency, stability and international credibility.
The index also shows that Namibia falls within the top global quartile for dividend tax and capital gains tax measures, strengthening its position as a predictable business environment in the region.
Senior manager for marketing, branding and communications at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB),Catherine Shipushu, said the ranking confirms progress in building an environment that investors and entrepreneurs can rely on.
“This recognition validates Namibia’s ongoing commitment to creating a predictable, stable, and investor-friendly business environment,” Shipushu said.
She said the outcome also reflects reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business, including the Investor One Stop Centre and the ScaleUp Namibia platform, which support entrepreneurs at different stages of growth.
The report notes that converting the ranking into direct gains for startups will require stronger coordination among stakeholders, as well as more investment in research and development, intellectual property protection and commercialisation.
Shipushu said the focus going forward is to strengthen innovation support systems and help Namibian businesses expand beyond national borders.
“Our priority remains to ensure that Namibia’s innovation support systems and ease of doing business continue to evolve in line with the country’s institutional credibility, enabling businesses to scale and compete regionally and globally,” she said.
