WINDHOEK, Namibia (ILO News) - Namibia has attracted about N$140 billion in foreign direct investment since 2021, nearly three times the N$50.5 billion recorded over the whole of 2009 to 2020, and its exports have almost doubled since 2020, from N$67.999 billion to N$125 billion. Yet 36.9% of Namibians are unemployed, 44.1% of young people cannot find work, and 57.7% of the workforce is in informal employment.
That gap between economic headlines and social outcomes was the starting point for a one-
day roundtable on trade, investment and decent work held at the Hilton Hotel in Windhoek. The event was organized by the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, the International Labour Organization, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection Joint Programme, with funding from the ILO/European Union Sustainable Trade and Investments (SUSTAIN) in Southern Africa project. The event was attended by over 90 participants from the public and private sector in Namibia, including representatives from trade, investment and labour-related institutions and organizations, development partners and civil society organizations.Opening the technical discussion, Mr. Karl Pfeffer, the ILO Project Manager challenged the assumption that more trade and foreign investment automatically produce more and better jobs and inclusive growth.
Whether they do, he argued, depends on a range of framework conditions: the availability of skills, the level of formalization, an enabling business environment, governance mechanisms, responsible business conduct, and the capacity of local enterprises. He said responsible business conduct and respect for human rights can help shift the focus from trade and investment volumes to their quality and impact on job creation, enterprise development, and inclusive growth.
UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Hopolang Phororo said Namibia's potential was not in doubt. “The real question is whether we can turn that potential into a growing number of productive enterprises, competitive industries, and quality jobs for Namibians,” she said.
She urged a focus on what happens after investment arrives: how many local firms become suppliers, how much technology is transferred, and how much value is added locally? She also linked the discussion to the UN system's joint work, including the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection, for which Namibia is a pathfinder country.
© Lukas Frieda, ILO
Hon. Inecia Theresia Brandt, Deputy Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, highlighted the role of mining, green hydrogen, oil and gas, and beef exports in Namibia's development. "The promotion of decent work must not be viewed as separate from economic growth, but rather as an essential component of productive, inclusive and sustainable economic development, and so our ambitions to increase investments and trade should also ensure the promotion of decent work outcomes," she said. She noted that the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) is closely aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
© Lukas Frieda, ILO
Trade that creates opportunities
EU Ambassador H.E. Ana Beatriz Martins pointed to the important trade and investment relationship between Namibia and the EU. Namibia's exports to the EU more than doubled to €910 million in 2025, sustaining an estimated 40,000 direct jobs, as the SADC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement marked its tenth anniversary.
“The success of this transformation cannot be measured by investment volumes or export figures alone,” she said. She noted that, under the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Namibian suppliers may increasingly be asked about working conditions and supply-chain practices. “Skills training alone does not guarantee employment, just as investment alone does not guarantee inclusive growth,” she added.
Ms Catherine Shipushu, Acting Executive: Competitiveness and Branding at NIPDB, delivered remarks on behalf of Acting Chief Executive Officer Ms Julia Muetudhana, putting the investment figures in human terms. “For a young Namibian, desperate for employment, looking at these figures, there's only one fundamental question: what does this mean for my future?” she said.
Social partners want a seat at the table
Speaking on behalf of Namibia's workers' and employers' organisations, Ms. Helene Ochs, Secretary General of the Namibian Employers' Federation (NEF), called for investment that leaves lasting value. “Our goal should be investment that supports economic diversification, competitiveness and decent work,” she said.
“As social partners, we want to be part of shaping that future, not merely consulted after decisions have been made,” she added.
© Lukas Frieda, ILO
Four areas for action
In the afternoon roundtables, participants shared good practices and put forward recommendations in four areas:
- Developing skills for jobs and productive employment: Participants called for more internships, apprenticeships and workplace-based learning; a more effective apprenticeship policy; and the development of skills in emerging and future high-demand areas and occupations. They also proposed stronger graduate alumni networks to help place graduates, and better coordination between government, training institutions and industry through social dialogue.
- Advancing human rights through responsible business: Participants noted that the Office of the Ombudsman is developing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, covering fisheries, agriculture and extractive industries. They recommended supply-chain due diligence by large companies, probation periods for foreign investors that do not deliver on their commitments, and safer grievance channels for vulnerable workers and those in informal settings.
- Creating more and better jobs for young Namibians: Participants proposed legal minimum working conditions for interns, backed by a government desk to monitor them. They expressed concerns that some interns receive only transport money, and that training-authority funding can take up to a year to reach employers. The group also suggested minimum thresholds for investors before investment deals are signed, so that deals support decent jobs for young people.
- Boosting productivity, building competitive enterprises and transforming the economy: Participants pointed to successful Namibian enterprises and initiatives to build on, including Namibia Breweries, Meatco, Bokomo, Nakara and the Government's green schemes, and suggested exchange programmes to build skills. They proposed prioritizing domestic investment and local value addition in agriculture, natural-resource-based cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and the digital economy, as well as a review of trade agreements that have constrained manufacturing.
A recurring theme across the group discussions was that employment outcomes are rarely taken into account during the negotiation of trade and investment agreements. Participants also noted that ministries often operate in silos, with no clear process for monitoring and enforcing investor commitments
From dialogue to commitments
© Lukas Frieda, ILO
In the closing session and in her remarks, Ms. Shipushu of NIPDB urged participants to "leave with commitments that have a name and a date next to them, because good conversations that end at lunchtime will not create a single job."
Participants called for action-oriented partnerships and early “quick wins”, for employment to be built into trade and investment policy, and for stronger social dialogue and governance. The message was that dialogue is the foundation for solid action, but that action must follow. Ms. Shipushu had urged participants to “leave with commitments that have a name and a date next to them, because good conversations that end at lunchtime will not create a single job.”
Participants called for action-oriented partnerships and early “quick wins”, for employment to be built into trade and investment policy, and for stronger social dialogue and governance. The message was that dialogue is the foundation for solid action, but that action must follow.
“The question is not whether we understand the problem,” Ms. Phororo said in closing. The question is whether we are prepared to act together differently.
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