CHAMWE KAIRA
The country’s national room occupancy rate reached 66.49% in the third quarter of 2026, surpassing both the same period last year and the pre-pandemic level recorded in 2019, according to first-draft figures from the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN).
The occupancy rate was 1.18 percentage points higher than the 65.31% recorded in the third quarter of 2025 and 1.75 percentage points above the 64.74% recorded in the third quarter of 2019.
Bed occupancy also improved, reaching 58.86% in the quarter, compared with 57.17% in 2025 and 55.13% in 2019.
However, September room occupancy declined to 66.33%, from 67.37% in September 2025 and 67.98% in September 2019.
According to Almandro Jansen of Simonis Storm, the decline in room occupancy was accompanied by an increase in bed occupancy, which rose to 60.05% in September, up from 55.53% a year earlier and 54.15% in September 2019.
The increase reflects a higher number of guests per occupied room, which rose to 1.83 in September, compared with 1.78 in 2025 and 1.77 in 2019.
Jansen said the third-quarter performance was supported by July and August, when room occupancy reached 62.63% and 69.53%, respectively, compared with 61.07% and 69.05% in the corresponding months of 2025.
September’s weaker room occupancy reduced some of the gains but did not reverse the quarter’s overall improvement.
The figures are based on 75 properties reported in September, compared with 115 in September 2025. The third-quarter data covered 122 properties, against 137 a year earlier.
HAN reported 83 936 beds sold in September and 307 755 for the quarter. Jansen cautioned that the smaller reporting sample affects comparisons of absolute volumes, although occupancy ratios remain comparable.
The northern region recorded room occupancy of 71.44% in the third quarter, an increase of 4.98 percentage points year on year. The rate was 1.54 percentage points below the region’s 2019 level.
September occupancy in the northern region reached 72.21%, compared with 68.11% a year earlier.
The central region recorded quarterly occupancy of 63.25%, up 0.57 percentage points from 2025 and 7.26 percentage points above 2019. Its September occupancy reached 72.83%, the highest among the regions.
However, only eight central region properties reported September figures. The share of beds sold to business travellers in the region fell to 6.89%, from 30.36% a year earlier, a change Jansen said could reflect differences in the properties included in the reporting sample.
The coastal region recorded third-quarter occupancy of 66.89%, up 0.14 percentage points year on year. September occupancy declined to 66.80%, from 74.15% in September 2025.
The southern region remained the weakest performer, with third-quarter occupancy of 61.04%, down 3.62 percentage points year on year and 8.50 percentage points below 2019.
September occupancy in the region fell to 57.74%, the lowest regional reading for the month. The region recorded lower occupancy than a year earlier in July, August and September.
Jansen identified the southern region and the self-drive tourism segment as areas of concern, noting that the region’s attractions include Sossusvlei and the Fish River Canyon.
Jansen said the third-quarter results indicate that Namibia’s accommodation recovery remains intact, with occupancy levels exceeding those recorded before the pandemic.
