Swakopmund: The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development launched the Informal Settlements Baseline Report in Swakopmund on Wednesday. The baseline report establishes a benchmark against which future progress can be measured, particularly as the government seeks to reduce informality by 50 percent by the end of the 2028/29 financial year.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the report provides an evidence-based instrument to guide national policy, strategic planning, and coordinated interventions aimed at addressing informal settlements across all regions. Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, emphasized that the launch is a foundation upon which decisive action must be built, and the report's real value will be measured by how effectively its findings are translated into policy reforms and sustainable interventions.
The 2023 Population and Housing Census reveals that 28.7 percent of households in Namibia live in informal dwellings, with 40.2 percent of those located in urban areas. Urbanization increased from 42.8 percent in 2011 to 50 percent in 2023. The minister acknowledged the report was initially due in May 2025 but commended the NSA and the National Planning Commission (NPC) for their collaboration in compiling the document.
NPC Director General Kaire Mbuende highlighted that the report represents an important step in the government's efforts to address land and housing challenges. The National Development Plan 6 (NDP6), covering 2025/26 to 2028/29, prioritizes urban land and housing delivery, with targets including the formalization of informal settlements, servicing of 10,000 plots, construction of 3,000 houses, and installation of 260 shared sanitation facilities.
A total of 563 settlements were assessed nationwide, with 419 classified as informal. Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses stated that informality is not about displacement but about restoring dignity through settlement upgrading, tenure security, and improved service delivery. She noted that rapid rural-urban migration, particularly to economically active regions such as Erongo, continues to pressure land delivery, infrastructure, and housing provision.
The two-day workshop following the launch focused on reviewing 2025/26 targets and planning for the 2026/27 to 2028/29 financial years under NDP6.