By: Kandjengo ka Mkwaayoka
The Namibian economy is characterized by deep inequality and structural issues that have restricted participation among many Namibians across social classes.
Participation is about using one’s economic capability to earn income through entrepreneurship, employment, creativity, and other approaches.
However, participation in the economy needs to be enabled by policies, skills, and creativity.
At the same time, it can also be enhanced by sharing and empowering the masses with the right information.
The right information in this regard is economic information that individuals can use to make decisions and to pursue income-generating activities using resources at their disposal.
The media (radio, podcast, and print) have been one of the main distributors of information in Namibia through their reach and structure.
However, anecdotal observations show that most of our media in the country do not cover business and economic matters adequately or as frequently as required.
Daily, most of the stories and topics covered by Namibian media are on social, crime, and governance matters and little on economic opportunities.
Furthermore, the coverage has focused just on reporting but not much on breaking down complex trade and economic matters for easier consumption by the masses.
This is because commerce conversations in Namibia are not happening; they are reduced to job-seeking and simple hustles of selling something.
However, commercial opportunities in complex sectors such as mining, manufacturing, and innovation are not discussed publicly or covered enough for many Namibians to be aware of.
Such conversations are only happening at a few conferences and seminars; then the media pick a few topics that they feed the public.
Another observation made is that Namibians barely use other sources, or, to say they barely consume other sources for information beyond radio and newspapers.
The country has few business and economic journals, while seminars and lectures are limited to the capital city and coastal areas.
This means the rest of the country relies on radio, print, and social media for updates and information.
This status quo positions journalism and reporters as critical conveyors and transmitters of information through their respective media houses.
The most critical part of this is what they feed the public, especially the economically active masses and learners or students that entering the labour market.
In cognizance of the country’s income inequality, which is exacerbated by the exclusionary structure of the Namibian economy, reporting on economic dynamics at the basic level to ensure easy consumption of commercial matters will be key.
Full participation in the economy by the less economically privileged can be enhanced by intentional economic reporting on resource endowment, entrepreneurship and trade opportunities, and policy development.
The masses that are at the periphery of the economy can be strategically empowered with the right economic information to enlighten them on entrepreneurial opportunities and skill development to enable them to earn.
Thus, journalists and radio hosts who are writing or hosting business- and economic-related stories and shows need to be well capacitated or enlightened to shape and influence discourse in economic building.
Restructuring and building an inclusive economy are matters of shaping public discourse and changing existing views on Namibia’s involvement in the economy at the highest level, beyond labour provisions.
Journalists, editors and Radio presenters/hosts are the bridge, and they can shape and enable economic information to reach various segments of society.
Empowering people with the right information is a prerequisite and an ongoing activity that sparks interest and enables the masses to engage and take up opportunities that are naturally occurring or facilitated by the government.
Thus, it is important for journalists, radio presenters and media houses to be capacitated on how to present economic information for easier consumption.
This will enable the economically active masses to consume economic information and make labour, entrepreneurship and other commercial decisions.
In such a way, more of the less privileged will find it easier to participate in the economy and make use of available resources for commercial endeavours.
This is because many Namibians are not commercially enlightened; thus, we have a high level of informality, small-scale operations, and rural-urban movement.
Through media reporting and radio discussions, public discourse on commercial matters can shape and influence people to have a different perspective on entrepreneurial endeavours and job seeking.
This is because the current public discourse and perspective is mostly dominated by a job-seeking mindset and less by an intrapreneurial mindset and innovation.
Moreover, the public discourse or perspective on TVET is also quite linked to its being inferior to academic qualifications. The media and journalists can do great work in debunking such understanding to ensure TVET is well developed to contribute to the country’s industrial aspirations.
Equipping modern journalists, editors, and economic analysts will be key in information circulation to empower that information (commercial)-starved for their utilization and action.
This can enable more Namibians to participate in the economy at the highest level beyond employment.
An inclusive economy will be built by the information we share and the conversations that we constantly have on major platforms; the media are shaping these conversations through topics, statistics, and guests.
