Windhoek
The 2016 Africa Prosperity Report compiled by a UK-based think tank, Legatum Institute, has ranked Namibia as the fourth most prosperous nation out of 38 African countries.
The report uses indicators, such as economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom and social capital.
Namibia is ranked second in governance, fifth in entrepreneurship opportunities, sixth on education, sixth on personal freedom, eighth on safety and security, 16th on health, 20th on economy and 23rd on social capital.
The report’s authors put Namibia in the category of ‘Middle Income Over Delivery,’ which includes countries with good regulations that help private sector development, government effectiveness, economic diversity, strong civil liberties and freedom of choice. Other countries in the category include Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania.
Income categories are determined on the basis of economic complexity, governance and civil liberties. The top ten countries in terms of prosperity are, in order of ranking, South Africa, Botswana, Morocco, Namibia, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Rwanda, Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Zimbabwe and Angola are the only southern African countries ranked among the least prosperous on the African continent, with those at rockbottom being the Central Africa Republic, Chad, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Angola, Liberia, Guinea, Togo and then Zimbabwe.
Rwanda was listed this year as the most improved country. To improve her ranking, Namibia is urged to close gaps in the health sector and also to tackle high rates of disease, like tuberculosis.