Vaino Hangula

With only seven years left to Vision 2030, it is all but certain that Namibia’s goal of becoming an industrialised nation has fallen flat. 

One reason is the failure to create mass employment, produce quality goods for export and transform the national workforce and industries. Some of the most basic accelerators of industrialisation are factories. Factories are catalysts for development, particularly in third-world countries like Namibia. It is essential to explore how factories contribute to the growth of Namibia’s economy, provide job security to its citizens, boost the national GDP, address historical racial inequality, and empower women and the youth, eventually decreasing the crime rate. Factories have the potential to provide job security to Namibians and also to play a vital role in empowering women and the youth. 

By offering employment opportunities to women, factories break traditional gender roles and create pathways for women to become financially independent and actively contribute to their families and communities. Inclusive economic empowerment enhances the status of women, promotes gender equality, and fosters social progress. 

Furthermore, factories tap into a talent pool, skills, and perspectives by involving women in the workforce, driving innovation and overall productivity.

Factories contribute to local economic growth by manufacturing products within Namibia. This localisation reduces reliance on imports, stimulates the domestic market, and increases production. As factories expand, they generate more employment opportunities for women and youth. By providing stable and gainful employment, factories offer alternative paths for economic advancement and reduce the likelihood of individuals, including women and youth, resorting to criminal activities driven by desperation. Additionally, the growth of the manufacturing sector and the resulting increase in the national GDP enable the government to invest in crime prevention programmes, social initiatives, and community development, further contributing to a decrease in crime rates. They also have the potential to create an equal playing ground for the historically dejected masses.

Namibia’s history has been marked by racial inequality, a legacy of the apartheid era. Factories will address this injustice by offering employment opportunities to all Namibians, regardless of their background. This inclusive approach extends to women, who have historically faced numerous employment and economic empowerment barriers. By providing equal opportunities, factories contribute to bridging racial divides, fostering social cohesion, and promoting a more equitable society where women and men can participate in and benefit from the country’s development and cementing the concept of national reconciliation adopted at independence, some 33 years ago.

Factories in Namibia have the potential to transform the country’s development trajectory by empowering women and the youth, decreasing crime rates, and addressing historical racial inequalities. Factories serve as agents of change through job security, economic empowerment, and inclusivity, fostering a more prosperous, gender-equal, and harmonious society for all Namibians.