Namibia is a market economy. And this means that every person, and any person, has the right to start a business of any kind in this country.
Just any person.
I can say that again. Any person has the right to open a shop or start any business anywhere in Namibia.
Even a foreign national has a right to start a business in Namibia if he wants.
It is fine, and nobody has any problem with that. It is a free market and free country – all are welcome to do business here in the land of the brave.
But ever since Namibia’s independence businesses of locals have been squeezed out of the market by businesses of foreign nationals. That is to say, businesses owned by Namibians have been dying one by one.
Especially the retailing businesses – that is to say, the shops. Shops owned by local business people have been closing.
Why?
It is because customers no longer buy from local shops. Customers buy from foreign-owned shops because the products are cheaper there. And the products are cheaper because they come from the home-countries of the owners of the shops.
The foreign shop-owners get their supplies from their home-countries, where they get very good discounts because they are citizens of those countries which produce the products.
This is what has killed businesses owned by Namibians.
And this situation is not healthy. It does not build an economy. A country cannot be built on the back of foreign-owned businesses. The economy of Namibia is tottering on the edge, and the livelihoods of most people are at risk, due to many factors; but one of those factors is the fact that a lot of money goes out of the country as a result of the success of foreign-owned businesses operating here.
But something can be done to change this situation. We can do something. Just follow me on this platform and find out what we can do.
Buy local. Support local. Local is lekker.
