I wish to ground this discussion in a current issue: the cancellation of a visit by one of the world’s most popular digital influencers, IShowSpeed, to Namibia. 

This is a blow to an already stagnant creative sector and a missed opportunity for tourism and global visibility.

For some time, I have reflected on the world’s oldest civilisations, particularly Egypt. Today, when Egypt is mentioned, the first images that come to mind are not Pharaohs or Cleopatra, but pyramids, hieroglyphics, statues, and monuments, the only works of art the colonisers failed to plunder. In essence, art has outlived fire and breath.

Yet today, the very sector responsible for preserving culture, history, and civilisation remains stagnant, not only in Namibia but across Africa. Namibia’s National Development Goals, particularly the recognition of the creative sector, are promising. 

For the first time, creatives feel seen at a policy level. However, recognition without alignment and reform limits impact. The cancellation of a major global influencer’s visit reinforces this reality. 

It stands in direct contradiction to national ambitions for youth empowerment, tourism growth, and the expansion of the creative industry.

Another persistent challenge is the centralisation of the film industry. This is deeply concerning, especially when the majority of our senior citizens, our living archives, reside in rural areas. These elders carry stories that sustain culture and identity. But when the storytellers close to them are economically handicapped and institutionally excluded, how can we truly preserve our heritage? 

Most of Africa possesses no records tracing its history beyond five hundred years. Today, every untold story is a lost history, not burnt or stolen, but discarded by us.

Creative development will remain sidelined without policy alignment across all sectors. Aviation, immigration, tourism, arts, and trade must work toward the same goal. In creative hands, the stories of a nation are preserved.

*Ndumba Jonas is a Namibian filmmaker, writer, and director with over 10 years of experience in media and creative production. He is the founder of Sky Light Investment CC.