Namibia is among the top emerging markets in Africa. It enjoys a stable political landscape and a developed infrastructure that make it a great place for business. The government is actively putting in efforts to attract foreign investors to the country. The recent expansion of the port at Walvis Bay that has turned Namibia into a South Africa logistical hub is a good example. It has sparked interest for investors from around the region and over. This also opens up interesting opportunities for employees and employers alike.
Background
Namibia is located along the south Atlantic coast of Africa, bordering South Africa to the South, Botswana to the east, Angola to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its 824,292km squared area consists of about 80% desert. The country has a population of about 2.55 million people, making it the second least densely populated country in the world. Historically, Namibia was a German colony until 1915 and later under the rule of South Africa. It was only in 1990 that the country gained its independence from South Africa. Since then, it has really come into its own.
Namibia is rich in natural resources. It ranks among the largest producers of uranium in the world. It is also a source of gem diamonds, gold, base metals, and silver.
The infrastructure is largely developed with the country boasting of a robust road network, one of the best in Africa. The rail network is about 2,687 km, connecting the major towns and cities in the country. In addition, Namibia has two ports – the port of Lüderitz and the one located at Walvis Bay. These ports serve the landlocked countries in the region.
Current State of the Job Market
Namibia is a lower-middle-income economy driven by nature-based activities such as agriculture, mining, fishing, and tourism. About half of the country’s population resides in rural areas practicing subsistence farming. Mining alone accounts for about 50% of earnings from foreign exchange. The country has a robust tourism sector that attracts foreigners to savor the vast range of wildlife, sand dunes in the sand sea, and the popular Fish River Canyon among other tourist attraction sites. It’s perhaps the reason why the country holds environmental conservation in high regard. It was the first to incorporate the law on environmental protection into the constitution. Though relatively stable, natural disasters like drought and fluctuations in global commodity prices make it vulnerable.
Namibia has a rich culture and a variety of languages. The main languages in the country are English, Khoekhoe, Afrikaans, and Ovambo. If you are to recruit successfully in the country, understanding the local culture as well as the business and social etiquette is crucial.
The unemployment rate in the country is projected to reach 36.70% by the end of 2022, with about 200,000 skilled laborers who are employed. Only a small percentage represents those working in professional and managerial positions. However, the government is focused on creating more jobs and bringing more citizens into the country’s economic mainstream. Since 2010, the government requires employers to source all unskilled and semi-skilled labor from the country. However, you might need to import skilled ex-pats from other countries due to the shortage of skilled professionals in the country.
In addition, it is important to ensure compliance with the law when hiring in Namibia. You can make your work easier by hiring through a PEO. However, if you want to do it internally, you will need knowledgeable HR and legal functions to help you hire compliantly, especially in regards to discrimination, compensation, and benefits, working hours and paid holidays, social security, taxes, and termination. You might also want to hold different events to popularize your company in the job market and make attracting qualified individuals easier. Even though a good percentage understands English, consider using translation equipment in the events. You are likely to resonate better and appeal to more people if you can speak their language.
Jobboard Finder’s Pick for Namibia
Namibia has greatly advanced from placing job ads in the newspaper. To advertise open positions in your company, you can post them on your website and social media pages. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Go Abroad are also popular job sites in the country. In addition, several other job boards are job seekers’ hubs where you can post your job ads. They include Namhook, Namijob, Pnet Namibia, Jobs in Namibia, and Jobs Unlimited among others. Check out the job boards we have on the Jobboard Finder.
Conclusion
As an emerging economy, Namibia is among the best countries to do business in Africa. The government is continuously improving the country to attract foreign investors. If you are looking to expand to the country, recruiting staff will surely be part of your strategy. Hopefully, learning more about the country and the people above will inform valuable insights into your recruitment strategy.
Sources for the photos: https://namibian.org/ , https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia
Author: Ali Neill
As the job board tester and blog editor for the Jobboard Finder, Ali works on job boards from all around the world and keeps a close eye on the recruitment trends thanks to a number of sources, including the website’s social media pages.
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