Chart of the Week

Tannan Groenewald
  • 11 Hours Ago
The latest Afrobarometer findings show Namibia standing out across Africa for its unusually low entrepreneurial ambition, with the state as the country's most desired employer.



When asked about their preferred job sector, only 23% of Namibians say they would like to start their own business - the lowest share across all African countries surveyed; compared to 44% who would prefer to work in the government or public sector, the second highest on the continent behind Angola. Another 18% favour private-sector employment, while 7% and 8% cite NGOs or something other than these four options.



This majority preference for public employment carries significant implications for growth and long-term job creation. In a context of persistently high unemployment, many Namibians view government work as the only stable route to income security. The private sector, by contrast, is often viewed as risky, undercapitalised, and constrained by regulation.



The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2025 places Namibia 68th out of 69 economies, with the assessment suggesting that Namibia's government policies are inconducive to competitiveness and investment, and include a poor evaluation of the domestic economy's competitiveness. In the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business indicators (now retired), Namibia was also listed among the most difficult places to start a business.



In an economy where establishing and sustaining a business is structurally difficult, it is unsurprising that entrepreneurship is a relatively unattractive path in Namibia. By contrast, the public sector offers job security, predictable pay, and comparatively limited performance pressure - a combination that makes government employment not only the safer choice but for many, the only realistic one.



*Tannan Groenewald is the head of data and analytics at Cirrus Capital.**