On 30 September 2025, the minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, tabled the motion for a comprehensive land bill.
The bill seeks to overhaul Namibia’s land management framework. It proposes the creation of communal land boards and a Communal Land Development Fund, sets rules for demarcating and allocating communal land and clarifies the roles of chiefs, traditional authorities and land committees. It continues key institutions such as the Land Reform Advisory Commission, the Land Acquisition and Development Fund, and the Lands Tribunal.
On commercial land, it gives the state a preferential right to purchase farmland, empowers it to compulsorily acquire land for reform, and aims to allocate such land to Namibians without adequate access. The bill also bans foreign ownership of farmland, regulates foreign leasing, establishes rules for land valuation, converts the Valuation Court into a Valuation Tribunal, and introduces a land tax.
In short, the bill provides a legal foundation for redistribution, tenure security, and stronger regulation of Namibia’s land sector, with the aim of advancing land reform and equity. This is not a mere technical amendment to the statutes; rather, it represents a significant shift for Namibia’s future, particularly for the younger generation who will bear the social, economic, and political ramifications of today’s decisions.
Land reform has been a central promise for Namibians since independence in 1990. The 1991 National Land Conference established the principle of “willing buyer, willing seller”, under which the state could buy commercial land for redistribution. While some land was redistributed, critics argued the process was too slow and the wealthy had a comparative advantage.
In 2002, the Communal Land Reform Act created communal land boards and tried to secure tenure in traditional areas. In 2018, a second National Land Conference under the stewardship of former president Hage Geingob reviewed progress and called for more decisive measures, including restricting foreign ownership. This new bill now seeks to transform those resolutions into law. For young people, it represents the next chapter in a struggle that began before they were even born.
Land is not just soil. It is wealth, opportunity and a foundation for food security, jobs, enterprises, and housing. Many young people in Namibia are urbanising or searching for economic footholds in the sectors of agriculture, agribusiness, tourism and ecotourism.
If this bill empowers the state to allocate land fairly, it could open doors for youth-owned cooperatives, agritech startups, and farming ventures. However, should the implementation fail, land reform risks becoming a source of instability, frustration and elite capture. The stakes could not be higher for young people, especially entrepreneurs and workers.
Namibia’s skewed land distribution is a direct legacy of colonial dispossession and apartheid policies. Huge commercial farms were concentrated in white minority hands, while Black Namibians were confined to “homelands” with little security and zero stability. Since 1990, attempts at redress have barely moved the needle.
This bill seeks to push redistribution forward while also addressing tenure security in communal areas. For young Namibians, especially those from rural communities, reform is not merely about economics. It is about restoring dignity, reclaiming rights and making sure that the next generation does not inherit a deeply unequal land system.
Now that the context has been established, what should the expectations of young people be and what are the actions to take?
- Read the bill’s clauses carefully:The fine print on who qualifies for land allocation, how valuations are done and what support is offered matters as much as the headlines.
- Track the parliamentary process: Bills evolve in committee stages. Youth groups can attend hearings, submit inputs or even write op-eds. Your voice is more powerful than you think.
- Push for post-allocation support: Land without training, credit, infrastructure or markets is just a piece of paper. Young farmers and entrepreneurs need access to finance, skills, and technology.
- Hold leaders accountable: Corruption, favouritism or elite capture could derail reform. Transparency in who occupies land and how decisions are made must be non-negotiable.
Of course, it is always important to benchmark against other nations to establish what is common practice and draw lessons from their experience:
For South Africa, land reform there focused on redistribution but was slowed by legal complexities. More recently, debates on expropriation without compensation sparked heated divides. The lesson here is that reforms must be transparent and legally clear and balance justice with economic stability.
In Zimbabwe, the fast-track land seizures in the 2000s redistributed land but caused severe economic collapse and investor flight. In recent years, Zimbabwe has had to negotiate compensation with former owners. It is important to note from this example that chaotic or politicised reform carries lasting costs.
Post-1994, Rwanda implemented a massive land tenure regularisation programme, giving millions of households secure rights. This boosted investment, productivity, and social stability. Therefore, it is imperative to secure rights and support services matter as much as redistribution.
If done well, Namibia’s Land Bill could open doors for:
- Agribusiness & food systems: Young farmers producing high-value crops, horticulture, poultry, and fish farming.
- Eco-tourism & conservation: Community-based conservancies already benefit from land rights. Youth could create eco-lodges, cultural tourism sites, or wildlife enterprises.
- Green energy projects: Communal land could host solar or wind farms, with youth cooperatives as stakeholders.
- Urban housing initiatives: Regulated land allocation could also unlock opportunities for affordable housing and youth construction enterprises.
However, if not implemented properly, the following are risks:
- Elite capture: If politically connected individuals obtain the best land, youth will remain excluded.
- Lack of financing: Without banks and funds willing to support new farmers, land may remain underused.
- Conflict: Poorly managed redistribution can cause disputes within communities or between traditional authorities and the state.
- Implementation delays: A bill is only the beginning; without political will, the promises may stall.
In conclusion, the Land Bill is not just about old grievances, but it is about the shape of Namibia’s future. If implemented fairly and transparently, it could unlock food security, entrepreneurship, and restore dignity and generational wealth. If mishandled, it risks repeating the mistakes of the past.
Young Namibians cannot afford to sit this one out. Read the bill, join public hearings, demand accountability, and imagine yourselves as future landowners, innovators and custodians. The soil of Namibia holds more than crops; it holds the possibility of justice and prosperity. Whether that possibility is realised will depend, in no small part, on whether the youth pay attention now.
Sources & further reading: National Assembly Order Paper and Bill summary (30 Sep 2025); Ministry statements; Namibian reporting on land reform history; South Africa’s expropriation debates; Zimbabwe’s land compensation process; Rwanda’s land regularisation experiences.
