The country’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector has received a major boost while structured pathways for graduate and intern employment has been created within the private sector. This is a result of the recent signing of a three-year Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and the Namibia Investment and Finance Academy (NIFA).
The collaboration between the two entities introduces a practical skills-to-employment pipeline, while leveraging NCCI’s national membership base to facilitate internship and graduate placements across the private sector. This ensures that enterprise development is complemented by workplace experience, skills absorption, and job creation. The partnership also establishes a coordinated framework to support Namibian businesses in transitioning from informal and subsistence operations into commercially viable, investment-ready enterprises capable of participating in formal markets and regional value chains. “This partnership is a concrete, action-oriented response to Namibia’s most pressing economic challenges. By joining forces to graduate MSMEs, unlock markets, and connect graduates with workplace pathways, we are building a more resilient, inclusive private sector—one that creates jobs, drives investment readiness, and fuels sustainable growth for our nation,” said Titus Nampala, chief executive officer of NCCI. Under the agreement, NIFA serves as the implementing partner, responsible for programme design, technical delivery, enterprise development, and performance tracking. NCCI acts as the ecosystem and mobilisation partner, connecting businesses, facilitating placements, and unlocking access to markets and opportunities through its membership network.
“This partnership goes beyond enterprise development. It creates a structured pipeline, from skills development to workplace experience, and ultimately to building commercially viable businesses. By linking graduates and interns to real opportunities within the private sector, we are addressing both unemployment and enterprise growth in a coordinated and practical way,” said Arinze Okafor, chief executive officer of NIFA.
At the core of the partnership is a structured MSME Graduation Pathway, designed to support enterprises across key dimensions including revenue growth and sustainability, financial management and governance, operational capacity and scale, and market access and value chain participation.
Furthermore, the partnership focusses on enterprise development and investment readiness, market access and supplier linkages, internship and graduate placement programmes within NCCI member companies, skills development aligned to private sector needs, and sector-focused and regionally adaptive initiatives.
A Joint Steering Committee is set to oversee implementation and ensure measurable outcomes across both enterprise development and skills absorption. This initiative directly aligns with Namibia’s national development agenda by strengthening MSME competitiveness, addressing youth unemployment and skills gaps, expanding private sector participation in economic development, and enhancing Namibia’s readiness for regional and continental trade opportunities. By integrating enterprise development with employment pathways, the partnership represents a practical, system-based approach to inclusive economic growth.