windhoek: The founder of the Business Summit, Martin Nankela, has called on young Namibians to seize entrepreneurial opportunities and create jobs as a means of fighting poverty and unemployment. Nankela made the remarks on Saturday at the 2025 Business Summit held in Windhoek. This year’s summit was themed ‘Building Sustainable SMEs for a Thriving Economy’. Established in 2021, the summit attracted exhibitors from across Namibia and featured renowned South African businesswoman Connie Ferguson as the guest of honour.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Nankela stated, ‘We started this because we saw a common enemy, and that enemy is unemployment. Unemployment is our shared crisis, it affects every home, every community, every industry, and the truth is, we cannot defeat this alone. It will take entrepreneurs, corporates, policymakers, banks and the government, all playing their part, all coming together, to fight this shared war.’

He urged both employed and unemployed individuals to start businesses and to think beyond mere survival. ‘We must create, we must start, and build businesses that employ others, so we collectively can move forward. The informal and SME sectors contribute highly to national employment and is a clear indication that entrepreneurship is not just a side hustle, it’s a key driver of economic development,’ he remarked.

Also speaking at the event, Windhoek Municipal Council chairperson Bernardus Araeb highlighted the significant contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to the country’s economy. ‘It is estimated that SMEs contribute over 12 per cent to Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide employment to more than 200,000 people. Yet, their full potential remains underleveraged due to persistent barriers such as limited access to finance, inadequate mentorship, and regulatory challenges,’ he said.

‘In Windhoek, the entrepreneurial spirit is evident in our informal markets, township enterprises, start-ups, and the vibrant ambitions of our youth. However, without targeted support, many of these promising ventures fail to flourish,’ Araeb stressed. The high youth unemployment rate is an urgent signal calling for strategic intervention, he noted. ‘The imperative is clear – we must not only create jobs, but cultivate job creators,’ he maintained.