By: David Shoombe
Shaun Gariseb, a youth activist, has indicated that young people still need more time to ensure compliance with the requirements of the National Youth Fund (NYF).
Speaking to Eagle FM, Gariseb has shown his appreciation to the government for tabling the initiative of the youth fund, which is aimed at promoting youth-led businesses and allowing them to have access to a portion of the allocated N$257 million for the fund.
Gariseb’s comments are also in line with a number of individuals’ sentiments, which led to the government extending applicants’ deadline by a few days in various regions.
He narrated that young people are still struggling with compliance and acquiring some of the required documents in order to apply for the Youth Fund. The activist noted that there is “inequality which is the factor of acquiring proper information and taking part in the application for funds.”
To this, he encouraged young professionals to assist fellow youth in registering and ensuring they have appropriate business plans and comply with the law.
Gariseb indicated that there are lawyers, accountants, and other young professionals who are really trying to assist young people to make use of opportunities, but many youth on the ground still do not have the necessary information.
He called for the government to extend the due date to allow remote and information-disadvantaged youth across the country to acquaint themselves with the application procedures.
The NYF pilot phase initially gave the youth less than a month to comply with the requirements, and due to the concerns raised by the youth, the Ministry of Finance extended the deadline to 4 September 2025.
The ministry indicated that this development initiative aims to empower Namibian youth as a critical pillar of national development.
Following the launch in September, the youth will be required to send their applications directly to financial institutions such as the Development Bank of Namibia, the Environmental Investment Fund, and the Agricultural Bank of Namibia.
Nangula Hamutenya, a youth in the Greenwell Matongo neighbourhood in Windhoek, shared her optimism about the youth fund and noted that “meekulu remembers us these days” in reference to the President catering to the youth.
She indicated that she had submitted her documents already, but raised concerns about being pressed for time, calling for an extension of the due date to allow the majority of unemployed youth in Namibia to benefit from the initiative.
“Imagine, some people are still waiting to get assistance from those who will get paid at the end of the month, and they will literally be left with 3 days to submit,” remarked Hamutenya.
Another youth, Victoria Namases indicated that ” I do not know why we need to be rushed, if it is our money.” Moreover, Namases advised those who would be beneficiaries to employ their fellow youth instead of misusing the long-awaited funds.
Johannes Robert, an entrepreneur from the vocational training sector, indicated optimism for the potential utilisation of the NYF to buy equipment and to boost his business operations. “However, if this fund is genuinely managed for the youth, it will create opportunities for prosperity,” he told Eagle FM.
Local economist, Frans Peter, also shared positivity about the NYF, while raising some concerns about how it will be distributed. The current model allocates 60% of resources to existing SMEs and 40% to start-ups. To this, he shared concerns about the exclusion of young entrepreneurs with viable ideas, but lack capital. Hence, he recommended a 50/50 allocation for a fairer split.
In her remarks on Heroes’ Day, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah encouraged the youth to use allocated funds to prioritise projects which contribute to national development.
