Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Republic of Namibia gained its independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990. The divided economic sector between modem European orientated and the underdeveloped African sector places major challenges on the government, the business sector and on the population itself. Vast differences exist between income, educational level, and living conditions and life expectations. The economy can be described as stable. Mining, fishing and agriculture are the main contributors to the economy. Currently the government maintains a budget deficit of 23.5% of the Gross Domestic Product. The economic policy can be described as open and democratic. Exchange rates and interest rates are market-determined. The comparatively high Gini - Coefficient of 0,7%, an unemployment rate of 34% and the decrease of the life expectancy rate are major challenges faced by the government of the day. Since independence Namibia has become a member of many regional and world organisations. These organisations support Namibia in various development projects, which will contribute t a stable economy. The composition of the Namibian population together with the size of the country and its various natural resources makes Namibia not very attractive for major manufacturers or industrialisation. Therefore the development of Small Macro and Medium Enterprises are of utmost importance. Namibia has developed a sophisticated financial sector, compared to other African countries. The Namibian Stock Exchange was established during 1992 and has developed into the second largest stock exchange in Africa. Treasury Bills and Government Bonds have been introduced as investment tools. Various state-supported institutions have been founded to support economic development. The Ministry of Trade and Industry implemented various tax incentives to attract foreign and local investments. However these measures have not had the expected effect. Namibia can learn few things from Mauritius, which has had basically the same historical development and economic composition. To ensure future investments in Namibia the government should consider the implementation of an investment tax, the implementation of an Unemployment Insurance Fund, and the support of unemployed people. The effect of HIV/AIDS will have a major impact on the economy of the country. The regional development will have a major effect on the national economy. The Southern African Development Community should create a regional currency, a standard economic and political structure and a free trade area. Such a regional development will have a positive effect on all national economies. Namibia has enough investment opportunities for national and foreign investors. Political and economical stability has to be maintained to ensure continuous future support of the investors. To fight poverty additional steps have to be taken so that within 20 years poverty in Namibia is not an issue anymore. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Republiek van Namibië het op 21 Maart 1990 onafhanklik geword. Die groot ekonomiese verskille tussen moderne Europese en ander ontwikkelde Afrikaanse sektore plaas die regering, die besigheids sektor en die inwoners voor 'n groot uitdaging. Groot verskille bestaan tussen inkomste, opvoeding, lewens omstandighede en verwagte lewensduur. Die ekonomie kan as stabiel beskryf word. Huidiglik handhaaf die regering 'n begrotingstekort van 23.5% van die Nasionale Bruto Binnelandse Produk. Die ekonomiese beleid kan as demokraties en oop beskryf word. Die wisselkoerse en rentekoerse word deur die mark bepaal. Die relatief hoë Gini koefisiënt van 0.7%, 'n werkloosheidspersentasie van 34% en 'n daling in die verwagte lewensduur stel die regering voor 'n groot uitdaging. Sedert onafhanklikheid het Namibië lid geword van talle streeks- en werêld organisasies. Hierdie organisasies ondersteun Namibië in verskillende ontwikkelingsprojekte, wat 'n stabiele ekonomie tot gevolg sal hê. Die samestelling van die bevolking van Namibië en die grootte van die land tesame met die natuurlike hulpbronne maak dit aanloklik vir groot fabrieke en industrieë. Die ontwikkeling van mikro en klein besighede is dus uiters belangrik. Namibië het 'n gesofistukeerde finansiële sektor in vergelyking met ander Afrika lande ontwikkel. Die Namibiese effektebeurs is 1992 in die lewe geroep en het tot die tweede grootste effektebeurs in Afrika ontwikkel. Skatkis briewe en regerings skuldbriewe is ingevoer as beleggings moontlikhede. Verskillende regerings en ondersteunende instansies het onstaan om ekonomiese ontwikkelling te bevorder. Die Ministerie van Handel en Ontwikkeling het verskillende belasting voordele geskep om buitelandse beleggers te trek. Tot op die huidige dag het hierdie voordele nie die gewensde effek gehad nie. Namibië kan baie van Mauritius leer, wat basies dieselfde historiese ontwikkeling gehad het en dieselfde ekonomiese samestelling het. Om toekomstige ontwikkeling te verseker, behoort die regering die implementering van 'n beleggersbelasting te oorweeg, sowel as 'n werkloosheidsversekeringsfonds om werklose mense te help ondersteun. Die effek van MIV/VIGS sal 'n groot uitwerking hê op die ekonomie van die land. Streeksontwikkeling in Suider-Afrika sal 'n groot effek op die ontwikkelling van die nasionale ekonomie hê. Die Suid Afrikaanse Ontwikkelings Vereniging behoort een gesamentlike geldeenheid, 'n standaard ekonomiese en politieke beleid te hê om 'n vrye handelssone te implementeer. Die streeksontwikkeling sal 'n positiewe effek op alle nasionale ekonomieë hê. Namibië het genoeg beleggingsmoontlikhede vir nasionale en buitelandse ontwikkellaars. Politieke en ekonomiese stabiliteit behoort gehandhaaf te word om toekomstige steun van beleggers te waarborg. Om armoede te bekamp, moet addisionele stappe geneem word om te verseker dat dit oor 20 jaar geen probleem meer sal wees nie.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The focus of this research is on the analysis of Namibian land reform policy. The primary objective is to identify the prevailing values behind the land reform, formulate precise objectives that reflect the inherent values, and analyse the existing options with a view to identifying the delivery mechanism(s) most appropriate to meeting the land reform objectives and to delivering the desired outcomes in a sustainable way. Namibia inherited skewed land ownership. The land reform debate focuses mainly on the redistribution of commercial farms, which are mostly owned by whites, and the tenure reform in the communal areas. The Namibian land reform rests on a tripartite scheme: Resettlement, Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) and the Development of Communal Areas (DCA). These approaches are governed by a number of policies and laws. Land reform is a very complex and emotion-laden phenomenon with multiple dimensions, which include moral, historical, social, economic, environmental and technical aspects. The land question in Namibia is a race question. While politicians argue publicly that land reform is important to boost the economy and reduce poverty, in reality the focus is on having more black Namibians own more of Namibia’s commercial farmland. This discrepancy between public pronouncements and actual motive may be responsible for the lack of clear objectives for the land reform policy. The analysis of Namibian land reform policy will require formulation of precise objectives. Because Namibia is the driest country south of the Sahara, sustainable management of land is imperative. Finding ways of achieving a politically acceptable racial balance of commercial land ownership and sustainable utilisation of redistributed land within an optimum time span is a challenge. The formulation of Namibian land reform policy was not preceded by any attempt at prior policy analysis. An ad hoc and crisis-management approach prevailed. A policy issue analysis approach has been used in this study. It is based primarily on a literature review augmented with questionnaires and interviews with selected key stakeholders. A stratified sampling technique was applied in the selection of the key stakeholders. The three groups identified were the policy-formulation and implementation group, the commercial farmers and the emerging farmers. VISA, a multi-criteria decision analysis package, was used to analyse and compare the three land reform approaches, while PolicyMaker software was used to analyse political actors and suggest strategies that can enhance the policy’s feasibility. The literature review and questionnaires revealed that the objectives of the land reform policy include correcting the skewed ownership of commercial farmland to reflect the demography of Namibia, alleviating poverty and achieving social and economic equity for all citizens. The programme should be sociologically, economically and environmentally sustainable. Combining all these objectives as criteria for evaluation, VISA demonstrates that the affirmative action loan scheme has the greatest potential for meeting the objectives followed by resettlement and development of communal areas respectively. Using the PolicyMaker software, stakeholders were categorised into supporters, opponents and non-mobilised; opportunities and obstacles were identified and strategies devised to harness opportunities and diffuse opposition. / cmc2010

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / Capital flight is a serious problem for Namibia as well as other countries. If not addressed, it will continue to impede national investment, macro-economic management and economic growth. These issues are particularly pertinent to Africa in view of it is high incidence of capital flight in the presence of foreign exchange constraints, limited foreign capital flows, external indebtedness and high dependence on overseas development assistance. The purpose of the study is to determine the magnitude and determinants of the capital flight burden in Namibia for the period 1990-2005. The study consists of a literature review, identifying an appropriate model for the capital flight burden in Namibia, data collection, and estimating and testing of the model using secondary data from Namibia. The study adopts two approaches to measure the extent of capital flight from Namibia: the residual approach and the Morgan Guaranty Trust method which is modified from the residual method of calculating capital flight. The residual method is an indirect approach based on a comparison between sources of capital inflows with the uses of these inflows. This approach was changed by Morgan Guaranty to include an additional item, the change in short-term foreign assets of the domestic banking system. The estimates from the study indicate capital reversal from Namibia over the IS-year period, averaging U$88.2 million using the residual method and U$200.4 million using the Morgan Guaranty method. The findings, although different from the picture on the ground, create a very good base for future research on capital flight in Namibia, which tends to be more uniformly related to portfolio diversification. The results from the three main model variants are unequivocal and indicate that an increase in aid and concessional grants tends to reduce the capital flight burden, while on the other hand the burden is seriously increased by depreciation of the Namibian dollar and an increase in inflation. These results have important implications for the Central Bank and the Treasury in tenns of strategic economic policy reforms.

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISCH ABSTRACT: Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) in Namibia is viewed as an essential poverty reduction strategy in the fight against black disempowerment. However, the concept and practice of BEE in Namibia, prevails in the absence of a national BEE policy. Nonetheless, the government has encouraged the public and private sector to develop their own empowerment initiatives, in accordance with the draft BEE guidelines. The practice of BEE in Namibia has become controversial amongst the presently disadvantaged Namibians with regard to its implementation. Criticisms on the implementation of BEE are based on the assumption that BEE has resulted in the selfenrichment of a small black elite as opposed to empowering the poor. Breaking the cycle of underdevelopment and marginalization requires a commitment towards Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and broad-based ownership. The ultimate objectives of BBBEE are to achieve significant decreases in poverty, income inequality and unemployment. The primary objective of the research was to analyze the implementation of BBBEE within two companies in Namibia, namely; Namibia Mineworkers Investment Company Financial Services (Nam-MIC FS) and the National Housing Enterprise (NHE). The purpose was to determine whether the poor are benefiting from their respective BBBEE strategies and to what extent. A descriptive case study approach was used to understand the empowerment process within the identified institutions. Two data collection methods were used, namely; open-ended questionnaires and standardized open-ended interviewing with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the respective institutions. The findings reveal that Nam-MIC FS is promoting broad-based ownership in that union members are able to access affordable financial services and products. However, Nam- MIC FS has failed to effectively implement BBBEE, since key areas of empowerment, such as the implementation of a broad-based skills development programme for employees, Small Medium Enterprise (SME) development for union members and community initiatives have been overlooked. The conclusion is that Nam-MIC FS is promoting a minimalist approach to empowerment, since its main focus is on the provision of affordable financial services and products, which is a short-term and unsustainable approach to reducing income inequalities and poverty. The main recommendations include the need to formulate and implement internal policies in respect of the transformational guidelines and implementing a monitoring and evaluation system. The findings on NHE reveal that whilst a BBBEE model has been implemented, a shortcoming is the failure to implement a skills development programme for black SME contractors. Moreover, of concern is the failure by NHE to promote broad-based ownership in the provision of housing, since the poor and very poor are directly and indirectly excluded from housing opportunities. The conclusion is that NHE is not promoting the broader participation, capacity building and economic improvement of the poor and very poor, which exacerbates the housing backlog through the emergence of informal settlements. The main recommendations pertain to the need to directly or indirectly include the poor and very poor in the provision of housing opportunities and a need to implement a skills development programme for black SME contractors, in addition to implementing a monitoring and evaluation system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Swart Ekomiese Bemagtiging (SEB) in Namibië word as ‘n noodsaaklike strategie vir die verligting van armoede in die stryd teen swart verontmagtiging beskou. Die SEB-konsep en die beoefening daarvan staan egter sonder ‘n ondersteunende nasionale SEB-beleid. Desnieteenstaande moedig die regering die private en die besigheidsektors aan om self bemagtigingsinisiatiewe in ooreenstemming met SEB-konsepriglyne te ontwikkel. Vir minderbevoorregtes in Namibië is die beoefening van SEB egter omstrede vanweë die implementering daarvan. Kritiek oor die implementering van SEB word gebaseer op die aanname dat SEB die selfverryking van ‘n klein groep swart elite instede van die bemagtiging van armes behels. Verbreking van die siklus van onderontwikkeling en marginalisering vereis verbondenheid tot Breë Basis Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtiging (BBSEB) en breë basis eienaarskap. Die uiteindelike oogmerke van BBSEB is betekenisvolle vermindering van armoede, ongelyke inkomste en werkloosheid. Die primêre doelwit van hierdie navorsing was om die implementering van BBSEB in twee maatskappye in Namibië, die Namibia Mineworkers Investment Company Financial Services (Nam-MIC FS) en die National Housing Enterprise (NHE), te ontleed. Die doel was om te bepaal of die armes enige voordeel uit die onderskeie BBSEB-strategieë trek en in hoeverre dit gebeur. Die navorsing is met behulp van beskrywende gevallestudies benader om die bemagtigingsproses in die betrokke instansies te kan verstaan. Twee insamelingsmetodes is vir die verkryging van data gebruik: ope-vraag vraelyste en gestandaardiseerde ope-vraag onderhoude met bedryfshoofde van die onderskeie instansies. Die bevindings toon dat Nam-MIC FS breë basis eienaarskap bevorder deur vakbondlede in staat te stel om toegang tot bekostigbare finansiële dienste en produkte te bekom, maar nie daarin geslaag het om BBSEB effektief te implementeer nie, aangesien sleutelareas van bemagtiging, soos implementering van breë basis vaardigheidsontwikkelingsprogramme vir werknemers en ontwikkeling van vaardighede vir Klein en Medium Ondernemings vir vakbondlede, sowel as gemeenskapsinisiatiewe, oor die hoof gesien is. Die gevolgtrekking is dat Nam-MIC FS ‘n minimalistiese benadering tot bemagtiging bevorder – hulle is hoofsaaklik op die verskaffing van bekostigbare finansiële dienste en produkte gerig, wat as ‘n korttermyn en onvolhoubare benadering tot die vermindering van inkomste-ongelykheid, en tot armoede, beskou word. Die vernaamste aanbevelings betrek die behoefte om ‘n interne beleid ten opsigte van transformatiewe riglyne te formuleer en ‘n stelsel vir die monitering en evaluering daarvan te implementeer. Bevindings oor die NHE toon dat ‘n BBSEB model geïmplementeer is, maar die firma tekortskiet aangesien hulle nie ’n vaardigheidsontwikkelingsprogram vir swart KMOkontrakteurs kon instel nie. Verder is dit sorgwekkend dat die NHE nie geslaag het om breë-basis eienaarskap deur voorsiening van behuising te bevorder nie, aangesien die armes uiters arm is en direk sowel as indirek uitgesluit word wanneer geleenthede vir behuising ter sprake is. Die gevolgtrekking is dat die NHE nie breër deelname, die ontwikkeling van kapasiteit, en ekonomiese verbetering van armes en uiters armes bevorder nie, waardeur die behuisingsagterstand vererger, en informele nedersettings ontstaan. Die vernaamste aanbevelings betrek die behoefte aan direkte of indirekte insluiting van armes en uiters armes by die voorsiening van behuisingsgeleenthede en die behoefte om vaardigheidsontwikkelingsprogramme vir swart KMO-kontrakteurs, tesame met ‘n monitering- en evalueringstelsel, te implementeer.