Old Mutual Namibia helps mobilise better data, better decisions and better lives

Old Mutual has contributed towards the Population and Housing Census to be conducted by the Namibia Statistics Agency in 2021.
STAFF REPORTER



Old Mutual is a signatory to the United Nations Development Goals and supports initiatives that are aligned to its responsible business ethos. Kosmas Egumbo, the Group CEO of Old Mutual, says they constantly look out for opportunities whose outcomes enable improving financial wellbeing and catalysing the financial resilience of society.

“Covid-19 has exposed the lack of financial resilience at individual and corporate levels, hence the need to have accurate information from household level to corporates upon which planning decisions can be made to support healthy macro-economic growth and ultimately help to address pervasive poverty and inequality,” he says.

Furthermore, the company’s social responsibility focuses on education, skills development, financial wellbeing and community development which in turn are aligned to key pillars of the country’s national development plans.

Since research has shown that sustainable growth of nations is directly linked to financial literacy and Africa’s financial literacy scores are low, the Namibia Statistics Agency has placed at the centre of its different financial propositions and offerings measures to address low financial literacy rates and lack of access to financial advice.

The fourth Population and Housing Census scheduled for 2021 is one of the most important, yet complex, data collection exercises in the country. The array of information it will collect such as age, gender, marital status, mortality, education, literacy, orphanhood, disability and the quality and availability of housing facilities are all vital data for evidence-based planning and decision-making.

Old Mutual has pledged N$120 000 to this national exercise as they are looking forward to a successful census whose outcome would assist various sectors in the country to help grow and develop the right products and services for the greatest positive impact on delivering higher financial literacy and financial inclusion.