Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for greater support to ensure that young entrepreneurs gain access to the funding, education, digital infrastructure, mentorship, and markets required to establish sustainable businesses.
“We want young people to move from having ideas to building real, sustainable businesses. And for that to happen, they need support mentorship, markets, funding, skills and the right networks. However, we must also be clear: the Government cannot do this alone. To ensure access to finance, education, digital infrastructure, mentorship, and markets, we must all contribute and play our roles. The private sector should continue investing in young people. Financial institutions should become more open and accessible to start-ups. And as communities, we must support local businesses, because when they grow, our economy grows and we all benefit,” the President said.
She made these remarks at the official opening of the MTC Kasivibe Festival, held under the theme “Building Opportunities for Namibia’s Youth Through Entrepreneurship and Innovation.” She described the festival as an important platform that empowers young people by enabling them to showcase their entrepreneurial initiatives, creative talents, products, and services.
Photos: Namibian Presidency
“This festival is aligned to one of our national priority areas of development, namely; creative industry. As we may all know creative industry is innovation as you cannot create if you are not innovative. Therefore, it is highly gratifying to me as the Head of State to see how Namibians are embracing the NDP6 and becoming part of its implementation team. It is my strong position that if all of us including the youth who are the majority of our population believe in our developmental agenda as set out by our government, together we will be successful. Thereby bringing about a balanced prosperity to all of us,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
According to her, the festival proves that Namibian people do not lack talent, but simply lack a space and a stage to showcase their talent and products.
“It further reminds us that business and innovative ideas do not only come from big offices, but they also sprout from our towns, villages, informal markets, homes, and communities. Indeed, business and innovation are present around us every day, everywhere,” she continued.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah commended MTC for organising the festival and for creating a platform that supports investment in the creative and cultural industries while opening opportunities for young Namibians. She stressed that investment in the sector should extend beyond events and contribute to the development of sustainable creative infrastructure and employment opportunities.
“When we speak about the creative economy, we speak about real jobs and real businesses. Music, film, fashion, digital content, gaming, visual arts, photography and design are not just hobbies. They are industries. They can create income, attract investment and take Namibia’s story to the world. I commend MTC for its ongoing investment in the Creative and Culture Industries and platforms that create opportunities for young Namibians. We value your contribution to Namibia’s socio-economic advancement. This is what partnership looks like: Government, businesses and communities working together to create opportunities that people can actually use. As we look ahead, we need to shift the strategy from hosting events to building creative infrastructures. Let us bridge the gap between raw grassroots passion and sustainable, creative careers,” the President added.
