The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and FirstRand Namibia recently hosted a CEOs' Roundtable on Namibia's Competitiveness, bringing together nearly 40 top executive business leaders. The event was attended by high-level officials, including I-Ben Nashandi, executive director of the National Planning Commission, Shali Shindume, economic advisor to the President, and Dagmar Honsbein, chairperson of the Economic Recovery Task Force. The roundtable aimed to address Namibia's declining performance in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.
Namibia's ranking in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook dropped to 69th out of 70 benchmarked economies, with a score decrease from 37.48 in 2025 to 28.48 in 2026. The report highlighted declines in all four main factors: business efficiency, government efficiency, infrastructure, and economic performance. However, the economic performance factor saw an improvement in its score, driven by improvements in International Trade and International Investment. This decline in ranking and score has raised concerns about Namibia's competitiveness.
The roundtable was a strategic partnership between NIPDB and FirstRand Namibia to address the country's competitiveness challenges. NIPDB acting chief executive officer, Julia Muetudhana, emphasized that competitiveness directly shapes the investment climate and economic wellbeing. She stressed the need for urgent action to improve Namibia's competitiveness. The event provided a platform for business leaders to discuss and identify solutions to these challenges.
Conrad Dempsey, chief executive officer of FirstRand Namibia, highlighted the need for institutional capacity to execute and match global interest in Namibia. He noted that every significant investment decision begins with assessing the ease of creating value in Namibia compared to other countries. Dempsey's remarks underscored the importance of improving Namibia's business environment to attract and retain investments.
Executive director of the National Planning Commission, I-Ben Nashandi, reaffirmed the government's commitment to improving competitiveness under Vision 2030 and NDP6. He framed the IMD Report as an urgent catalyst for action, emphasizing the need for implementation of plans to derive outcomes. Nashandi stressed that automation of services must be matched with internal capacities to drive digital transformation.
The roundtable discussion also focused on the need for reforms to be uniformly dispersed across all sectors, with timelines and champions to drive them. The participants recognized that improving competitiveness requires a coordinated effort from both the public and private sectors. The insights and consensus recommendations from the roundtable will be consolidated into a comprehensive advisory note for Cabinet.
The CEOs' Roundtable on Namibia's Competitiveness is a crucial step towards addressing the country's declining competitiveness. The event demonstrated the commitment of both the public and private sectors to improving Namibia's business environment. Key outcomes from the roundtable will inform policy decisions and guide the implementation of reforms to enhance Namibia's competitiveness.
Key points
- Namibia's ranking in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook dropped to 69th out of 70 benchmarked economies.
- The roundtable was attended by nearly 40 top executive business leaders and high-level officials.
- The insights and consensus recommendations from the roundtable will be consolidated into a comprehensive advisory note for Cabinet.
