Namibia

Namibia, formally known as Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. Namibia has the highest case of unequal wealth distribution between the poor and the rich, where 1 percent ($1.779 billion) of the wealth is controlled by 10 percent of the Namibian population and the top 10 percent of the rich have control over $9.8895 billion, which is more than half of the wealth of the country. This wealth inequality means that almost half of the citizenry live in poverty and barely have enough money to stay healthy.

Child poverty is the most prevalent and troubling case of poverty in Namibia; among children under 5 years of age, 18 percent are malnourished. Poverty has deep-rooted impacts on the quality of life and normal development of children in almost all regions of the country, including their education and future economic achievements.

As in the rest of the world, poverty in Namibia is measured by consumption capacity, with all types of income (gifts, remittance, etc.) converted into their monetary equivalent and compared with the national threshold. The poverty threshold is capped at N$262.45 and N$184.56 per year for extreme poverty and poverty, respectively. These thresholds put the poverty rate at 27.6 percent and the severe poverty rate at 13.8 percent.

The rate of poverty in Namibia is majorly high in rural areas and the so called peri-urban areas, where up to three-quarters of the poor depend on subsistence agriculture, cash transfers, and low-wage employment on farms to make ends meet. Along with increased unemployment and underemployment, the urban poor are also increasing.

Women are particularly prone to poverty in Namibia, and about 40 percent of households in Namibia are headed by women, the majority of which are among the poorest households. Income disparity between female- and male-headed households, as well as lack of male labor in the rural areas, presents an additional burden impacting the quality of life of women and children.

Government Policies

The government of Namibia uses many strategies and policies that allow for poverty alleviation, such as government grants, free food to the poor, and provision of financial services, but these have not scratched the surface in dealing with poverty. There is a popular opinion among the citizens that government officials are not committed to tackling the rate of poverty but instead are lavishly spending money on a select few in government positions, who are believed to be already rich and can take care of themselves.

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A member of Ben’s Bikes, an Australian nongovernmental organization designed to help former prostitutes find jobs, takes a break from mending bikes in the workshop in Windhoek, Namibia, March 19, 2009. About 40 percent of households in the country are headed by women, the majority of whom are among the poorest households. (Australian Aid/Kate Holt)

A recent survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics revealed a very grim image of the rate and distribution of poverty in Namibia. The incidence of poverty seems to be region-specific, with some having a very low level of poverty and others on the extreme of the poverty radar. Regions like Kavango, Caprivi, and Oshikoto have the highest incidence of poverty—up to 53 percent. Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Kunene, Ohangwena, Karas, and Hardap have incidence rates of approximately 35 percent. The regions with the lowest incidence rates are Oshana, Omusati, Khomas, and Erongo. Additionally, the most current data indicate that the Caprivi and Khomas regions are seeing an increase in poverty levels, while the rest of the regions are seeing a reduction in poverty.

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