Allexer Namundjembo
The marginalized communities continue to face significant challenges in education, employment, housing and access to basic services despite making up an important part of the country’s cultural diversity, according to a new report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Wednesday.
The report, presented by statistician-general and NSA chief executive officer Alex Shimuafeni, provides the first comprehensive statistical profile of the San, Ovatue/Ovatwa and Ovatjimba communities based on data from the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
According to the report, the three marginalized communities comprise 75 569 people, representing 2.5% of Namibia’s total population.
The San account for 94.2% of the marginalized population, followed by the Ovatue/Ovatwa at 4.9% and the Ovatjimba at 0.9%. More than two-thirds of the population lives in rural areas, with the largest concentrations found in the Otjozondjupa, Omaheke and Kunene regions.
Presenting the findings, Shimuafeni said the report provides critical information needed to address inequalities affecting marginalized communities.
“The report presents a descriptive statistical profile of the San, Ovatue/Ovatwa and Ovatjimba population groups,” he said.
He added that the findings provide information on key demographic, social and economic characteristics, including population size, education, economic activity and housing conditions, and are “intended to support evidence-based planning, policy formulation, research and monitoring.”
The census found that nearly 76% of the marginalized population is younger than 35 years, highlighting the need for sustained investment in education, healthcare and employment opportunities.
However, access to civil registration remains a major concern. The report found that 38.1% of children aged between birth and four years do not have birth certificates.
“This implies four in 10 marginalized children have no legal identity,” the report states.
Kavango West recorded the highest proportion of children without birth certificates at 60.7%, followed by Omusati at 50.6% and Ohangwena at 49%.
While about 80.2% of marginalized people have national identity documents, coverage remains lowest in Kavango West and Omusati.
Education indicators also reveal significant disparities. Only 11.4% of children aged between birth and five years attend Early Childhood Development programmes compared to the national average of 21.4%.
The report notes that this represents “a gap of 10 percentage points” between marginalized communities and the national population.
Adult literacy among people aged 15 years and above stands at 54.8%, well below the national literacy rate of 87.3%.
“The adult literacy rate among the marginalized communities was 54.8%… the overall population rate was 87.3%, which is about a 32.5% point difference,” the report states.
Although school enrolment remains relatively high during the primary school years, attendance declines sharply after the age of 16. Girls recorded slightly higher enrolment rates than boys, while only 1.6% of adults had completed tertiary education.
Economic participation also remains low. Of the 43 833 people of working age, only 16 284 were economically active.
Among those in the labour force, 9 673 were employed while 6 611 were unemployed, resulting in an unemployment rate of 40.6%, above the national average of 36.9%.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing remain the largest source of employment, accounting for 41.9% of employed persons, while elementary occupations account for the largest occupational group.
Housing conditions remain a concern, with 46.4% of households headed by marginalized persons living in informal dwellings.
Only 26.5% own the homes they occupy, while 68.4% have no toilet facilities. Although 88.4% of households have access to safe drinking water, only 32.4% use electricity for lighting.
Government social protection programmes continue to play a crucial role, with the State Maintenance Grant emerging as the most commonly received social grant, followed by the Old Age Pension and Disability Grant.
Shimuafeni said the report provides “critical evidence to support inclusive planning and policymaking, improved service delivery, and monitoring of development outcomes.”
He also noted that the 2023 Population and Housing Census was Namibia’s first fully digital census and the first to include a question on ethnicity, allowing for a more detailed understanding of the country’s marginalized communities and the challenges they continue to face.
Leonard Hamunyela, a marginalized communities advocate, said the findings confirm what many families have experienced for decades and should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday, Hamunyela said the census provides clear evidence that marginalized communities continue to lag behind in access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities and basic public services despite years of government interventions.
“The figures show that too many of our children still do not have birth certificates, too few are accessing early childhood education, and many households continue to live without adequate sanitation and decent housing,” he said.
“These are not just statistics; they represent real people whose opportunities are limited from a very young age. We hope these findings will translate into practical action and not remain only in a report.”
Hamunyela urged government, development partners and civil society to use the census findings to accelerate targeted programmes in the most affected regions.
He said greater investment in schools, mobile civil registration services, skills development, healthcare and sustainable livelihoods would help close the gap between marginalized communities and the rest of the population.
“The census has given us the evidence. The next step is ensuring that no community is left behind in Namibia’s development,” he said.
