Creative sector gets N$17.5m boost for 470 targeted jobs
Patience Makwele Namibia’s creative sector is set for a major government-backed expansion, with a N$17.5 million Local Content Plan expected to create approximately 470 direct jobs and support film production across all 14 regions. The plan, which was formalised on Monday through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the ministry of education, innovation, youth, sports, […]
Namibia’s creative sector is set for a major government-backed expansion, with a N$17.5 million Local Content Plan expected to create approximately 470 direct jobs and support film production across all 14 regions.
The plan, which was formalised on Monday through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the ministry of education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture (MEIYSAC) and the ministry of information and communication technology (MICT), will finance a national soap opera, two limited television series, 14 regional short films and a film production equipment access programme.
The N$17.5 million forms part of a broader N$50 million government allocation towards creative industries programmes.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at the National Theatre of Namibia, arts and culture minister Sanet Steenkamp said the investment is intended to build a sustainable creative ecosystem rather than simply finance productions.
“Investments are two fold, investments in productions and investments in people,” Steenkamp said.
Of the N$17.5 million earmarked for the Local Content Plan, N$8.64 million will fund national soap opera production, N$3.38 million will go towards limited television series production, N$3.5 million will support short film production across the 14 regions, N$1.73 million will fund an equipment access and management programme, while N$250 000 is allocated to programme administration, marketing and implementation.
Steenkamp said the investment is expected to create approximately 470 direct employment opportunities, with further beneficiaries expected across the wider creative value chain.
The opportunities will include writers, actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound technicians, designers and production crews, among others.
“Our objective is therefore not only to support content production but to strengthen a broader creative ecosystem in which Namibians can develop skills, gain experience, create businesses and build sustainable livelihoods,” she said.
The Local Content Plan is also designed to decentralise opportunities, with short film production earmarked for every region.
Steenkamp said creative opportunities should not be concentrated in Windhoek, noting that the country’s regions have diverse histories, cultures, languages and experiences that should form part of Namibia’s national storytelling.
She said local content would allow Namibians to see their communities and realities reflected in the content they consume, while creating opportunities to take Namibian productions into regional and international markets.
The funding will be released in three tranches linked to agreed deliverables and milestones.
Steenkamp said the arrangement is intended to ensure public resources are properly managed and implementation remains focused on measurable results.
“We want to see clear inputs and outputs: productions completed, jobs created, skills developed, equipment made available, enterprises supported and Namibian content reaching audiences,” she said.
From entertainment to economic resource
MICT minister Emma Theofelus said the MOU should be viewed as an economic intervention aimed at turning talent, cultural heritage and intellectual property into sustainable economic value.
“The creative economy is increasingly recognised globally as an important source of jobs, entrepreneurship and export opportunities,” Theofelus said.
She said the partnership aligns with NDP6, which identifies an enhanced and enabled arts and creative industries ecosystem as a national resource for social and economic development.
According to Theofelus, NDP6 targets an increase in the creative industries’ contribution to employment to 2% by 2030 and a 2.8% contribution to GDP through its products and services.
The MOU provides for cooperation in capacity building, information, research and marketing, intellectual property rights protection, accelerator and mentorship programmes, creative entrepreneurship and infrastructure support.
Theofelus said film is particularly strategic because it connects multiple industries, including acting, writing, directing, music, fashion, tourism, hospitality, transport, technology and marketing.
She said strengthening Namibia’s film industry could therefore create opportunities beyond individual productions by developing skills, professional standards and creative enterprises while opening pathways to regional and international markets.
The MICT minister also highlighted the proposed information, research and marketing unit, which is intended to address limited reliable data and market intelligence in the creative sector.
“We cannot effectively develop what we cannot measure,” Theofelus said.
She said reliable data would enable the government and industry to make better decisions, identify investment opportunities and demonstrate the sector’s economic contribution.
Building on existing activity
The government’s push
