Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are more than a category in an economic report. They are people, faces, families, and dreamers trying to make ends meet and build a future. 

They are the mothers selling vegetables to pay school fees, the young man fixing phones to stay off the streets, and the elderly woman selling food to survive with dignity. When we say SMEs must be the backbone of our economy, we are speaking about human beings who carry the future of this country every single day.

And yet, watching how these small businesses are sometimes treated is heartbreaking.

Statistics tell us that SMEs employ between 40% and 60% of Namibia’s workforce, especially when the informal sector is included. They contribute an estimated 30% to 40% to economic activity and sustain thousands of households. 

In a country where unemployment is well over 35%, and youth unemployment is even higher, SMEs are not optional; they are essential. Without them, many families would simply not survive.

But numbers do not cry. People do.

Every week, I sit across from small business owners and listen to their stories. And every week, it hurts. I hear about goods being confiscated, stock bought with borrowed money, savings, or the last bit of hope. I hear about traders being chased from the streets like criminals for trying to earn an honest living. I hear voices shaking as people explain how one moment changed everything.

When their goods are taken, who holds their hand?

For many informal traders, one table of goods represents everything they own. Losing it means no food at home, no money for transport, no school fees, no rent. There is no insurance. No compensation. No counselling. Just silence and shame. Survival becomes a daily battle.

The informal economy is estimated to support more than half of Namibia’s working population, directly or indirectly. Yet the very people who keep communities alive operate without protection, security, or consistent support.

They are told to “formalise”, to “follow procedures”, to “wait”. But how do you wait when hunger is urgent? How do you formalise when your workplace is taken away?

What is most painful is that these people are not lazy. They are not asking for handouts. They wake up early in the morning. They work long hours. They stand in the sun, wind, and dust. They choose dignity over dependency. SMEs are proof that Namibians want to work, even when the odds are against them.

And still, they are treated as a problem.

Yes, laws matter. Yes, cities need order. But order without humanity breaks people. Development without compassion leaves scars. Confiscation without alternatives destroys trust. Countries that succeed in supporting SMEs do so by creating safe trading spaces, affordable permits, access to micro-finance, skills training, and dialogue that does not fear alone.

There is also a silent emotional toll we do not talk about. Listening to these stories week after week changes you. You start carrying the sadness with you. You realise that behind every “illegal trader” label is a human being who is simply trying to live. These stories deserve more than headlines. They deserve action.

But this piece is not only about pain. It is also about hope.

SMEs are resilient. Despite everything, they keep trying. They fall and stand up again. They rebuild after loss. That spirit is powerful. Imagine what could happen if that resilience were met with real support. Imagine a Namibia where small businesses are protected, guided, and empowered. Imagine the jobs created, the confidence restored, the dignity preserved.

If SMEs truly are the backbone of this country, then we must stop bending that backbone until it breaks. We must start lifting it.

Supporting SMEs is not charity. It is nation-building. It is investing in people who already believe in themselves enough to try. Namibia’s future will not be built only in boardrooms and policies, but on street corners, markets, and small shops where courage meets survival every day.

It is time we listened, acted, and it is time we stood with those who carry us all.

-pmukokobi@nepc.com.na