Building the talent pipeline

Namibia already boasts many of the elements needed to strengthen its financial sector. It has a young population, growing ambitions to diversify its economy, and a government that recognises the transformative impact that deeper financial markets can have on its growth agenda.

But as Namibia looks to accelerate its growth agenda, ambition must be matched by delivery. This starts with bridging the gap between education and industry.

Around 70% of Namibia's population is under the age of 35. At the same time, access to higher education has expanded significantly since independence, creating a growing pool of young Namibians ready to enter the workforce.

And the government is clearly not blind to their potential. Its National Financial Sector Transformation Strategy 2025–2035 sets out an ambition to build a more forward-looking financial sector capable of supporting economic diversification and sustainable growth. Any hope of delivering on this depends on harnessing the potential of this young talent.

Closing the gap between potential and opportunity

So what is holding them back? The gap between potential and opportunity. Youth unemployment remains high, employers say skills are lacking, and many educated young Namibians are looking abroad for better prospects.

International experience can be valuable. But if skilled young people cannot find opportunities at home, Namibia risks losing precisely the talent it needs to build the industries of tomorrow.

Delivering Namibia's financial ambitions will therefore require more than new infrastructure. It will depend on the country's ability to develop and retain a skilled workforce and increase the meaningful participation of Namibians across its financial sector.

It is not simply a question of young people understanding financial markets. They need to develop the practical skills to analyse market information and translate it into informed investment decisions in today's interconnected markets.

That is why this is more than just a question of education. Building a stronger domestic talent pipeline requires equipping students with the practical skills employers need, strengthening links between universities and industry, and providing clear pathways from education to meaningful careers.

Lessons from Türkiye

This approach is not novel. Around the world, partnerships between universities and the private sector have helped students build workplace-ready skills and make the transition into professional careers.

At Bloomberg, we have seen this first-hand in Türkiye. The country has sought to deepen its financial markets while investing in the domestic capabilities needed to support them. The number of listed companies increased by nearly 20% between 2021 and 2024, while millions of domestic investors now participate in equity and fund investing.

In parallel with growing the market, Türkiye invested in the people needed to sustain it. Financial literacy initiatives are introducing young people to markets early, while strategic partnerships, such as the one involving Bloomberg's Investment and Finance Office and national universities, are helping to equip the next generation with professional financial skills and technology.

Building financial skills in Namibia

Namibia is already taking steps in the same direction, building the domestic talent that can support a more resilient and sophisticated financial sector.

The Bloomberg Finance Lab at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) – the first of its kind in Africa – gives students access to the same financial market technology and data used by professionals around the world. Combined with hands-on training, this gives students practical exposure to how financial markets operate and prepares them for the demands of the workplace.

It also gives them access to the Bloomberg Certificates programme – industry-recognised certificates, with more than one million issued around the world – acknowledging their completion of interactive courses on financial concepts.

The Namibia Investment & Finance Academy has also recently launched a three-year Capital Markets Talent Development Programme, combining market training with practitioner-led workshops and career support. Initiatives like these can help narrow the gap between what students learn at university and what will be expected of them in their careers.

Connecting education with industry

Importantly, the opportunity extends beyond any one university or initiative. Stronger partnerships between education and industry can help more young Namibians see a future for themselves in the country's financial sector. At the same time, cross-sector collaboration gives financial institutions greater confidence that the talent they need can be developed at home.

Namibia has already laid a strong foundation to elevate its financial ecosystem. These skills-development initiatives show that its ambition is more than rhetoric – but is it being matched with genuine investment in the future of its young people?

The role of financial journalism

A prosperous financial ecosystem needs broad skills: economics, finance, public policy, markets and data analysis. Reporting on economic and financial issues is a key part of that. Bloomberg is proud to support this end to end.

As part of this strategy, Bloomberg will this week launch its Financial Journalism Training (FJT) programme in Namibia, as part of its Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa initiative.

Our local partners, NUST and the International University of Management (IUM), will lead a year-long training programme designed to equip local Namibians with the skills needed to enhance their coverage of the public and private sectors, leading to greater economic transparency. By building talent consistently, Namibia can grow a self-sustaining economy – and keep its best people at home.

Namibia will be the tenth country on the continent to launch Bloomberg's FJT executive education programme.

Investing in people

As Namibia continues its financial transformation and builds a knowledge-driven economy, investing in people will be just as important as investing in infrastructure. The stronger Namibia's domestic talent becomes, the greater its ability to build sophisticated financial markets that are increasingly shaped and led by Namibians themselves.

James Coyle is Head of Bloomberg for Education