Namibia

**No major shifts to the baseline instability picture (youth unemployment ~36.9–38% range for 15-24, high fuse score) from developments in the last ~60 days (post ~early April 2026).** Unemployment data remains consistent with prior modeled estimates, with no fresh government, ILO, or World Bank releases updating 2025/2026 figures. Positive government youth funding initiatives and peace/security engagement are noted, alongside incremental infrastructure improvements. No reports of protests, coups, militia activity, major economic shocks, or currency issues affecting young men (18-35).[[1]](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSNAM)[[2]](https://www.statista.com/statistics/812268/youth-unemployment-rate-in-namibia/?srsltid=AfmBOoqTRXcI9giOiSlrb6KbF6rGh-8SUNHPGPn--29Mp105NG_biju8)

**1. Youth unemployment data/releases:**  
No new government, ILO, or World Bank releases in the last 60 days. World Bank-modeled ILO estimates and related sources (e.g., FRED, Statista) continue to cite ~38.05% youth unemployment (total, ages 15-24) for 2025 (up slightly from 37.24% in 2024). The baseline male-specific figure of 36.9% aligns closely with parliamentary and other references to overall youth rates around this level. Earlier NSA data (e.g., 2023 Population and Housing Census Labour Force Report, released ~Jan 2025) and a March 2025 parliamentary motion report reference similar figures (e.g., 36.9% unemployment rate context, with combined unemployment/potential labor force at 54.8% in some youth metrics). An NPC report on youth unemployment (Feb 2026 PDF) draws on 2025 Ministry of Justice/Labour and NSA sources but does not introduce newer 2026 statistics.[[1]](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLUEM1524ZSNAM)[[2]](https://www.statista.com/statistics/812268/youth-unemployment-rate-in-namibia/?srsltid=AfmBOoqTRXcI9giOiSlrb6KbF6rGh-8SUNHPGPn--29Mp105NG_biju8)[[3]](https://www.parliament.na/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Report-of-the-Motion-on-Youth-Unemployment-Crisis-in-Namibia.pdf)

**2. Political, security, or economic events affecting young men (18-35):**  
No significant protests, coup attempts, militia recruitment, or economic shocks/currency crises reported in the period. The BTI 2026 Namibia Country Report (covering up to late 2025/early review) notes post-November 2024 election disputes (procedural issues, court challenges pending at time of writing) but highlights a smooth presidential transition, high voter turnout (>70%), and absence of unrest/protests despite irregularities. No escalation into youth-specific instability.[[4]](https://bti-project.org/en/reports/country-report/NAM)

**3. NGO/academic reports on youth situation (published 2025):**  
- UNICEF Namibia Annual Report 2025 (published ~Feb 2026) discusses children/youth progress and inequities but focuses more broadly.  
- NPC report “ON YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN NAMIBIA” (Feb 2026 PDF) analyzes the issue using 2025 sources.  
- Parliamentary “Report of the Motion on Youth Unemployment Crisis in Namibia” (referenced with 2025 context).  
- Other 2025/early 2026 items include education/youth strategy documents and UNDP-related youth empowerment notes, but nothing dramatically altering the high-unemployment baseline.[[5]](https://open.unicef.org/download-pdf?country-name=Namibia&year=2025)[[6]](https://www.npc.gov.na/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PRTRR-YU.pdf)

**4. Internet/mobile infrastructure changes:**  
No shutdowns or coverage reductions. Positive/ongoing developments include:  
- Telecom Namibia planned network maintenance (26–29 May 2026, 00:00–06:00 daily—limited impact).  
- Expansion: Powercom (Telecom subsidiary) deploying 11 new mobile base stations in 2026 so far, with 19 more planned by year-end, plus upgrades; part of broader modernization for better coverage/reliability in underserved areas.  
- 5G rollout progressing in 2026 (phased, urban/coastal focus; MTC leading, others following).  
- Phased 2G/3G shutdowns beginning in 2026 (Communications Regulatory Authority guidance; gradual).  
These support improved digital access rather than restriction.[[7]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWlPL5ljJfK/)[[8]](https://www.facebook.com/TheBriefLive/posts/telecom-namibia-says-it-plans-to-expand-its-mobile-network-infrastructure-throug/1015485640830440/)[[9]](https://www.telecompaper.com/news/namibia-to-start-2g-and-3g-network-shutdowns-in-2026--1560766)

**Additional context on youth programs (potentially mitigating factors):**  
The National Youth Development Fund (NYDF) saw an age range adjustment to 18–45 (announced ~March 2026), with N$257 million allocated for 2025/26 FY; applications ongoing (no closing date), low-interest loans (2–4%), no collateral for eligible youth businesses/cooperatives/agriculture. Earlier disbursements (e.g., N$62.3 million creating ~722 jobs in first five months post-2025 launch) indicate active implementation.[[10]](https://economist.com.na/104825/general-news/government-allocates-n257-million-to-youth-fund-during-2025-2026/)[[11]](https://thebrief.com.na/2026/02/namibias-national-youth-development-fund-creates-722-jobs-in-five-months/)

Youth, Peace & Security (YPS) efforts advanced with a May 2026 two-day workshop (26–27 May, Windhoek) by the National Youth Council, Namibia YPS Network, and African Union partners to kick off development of Namibia’s first National Action Plan on YPS—framing youth as present actors in peacebuilding.[[12]](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZACsKfsDVu/)

Overall, the picture remains one of persistently high youth unemployment addressed through targeted funding and engagement programs, with stability and incremental connectivity gains. No developments flag a significant upward shift in instability risk from the provided baseline. Sources primarily include World Bank/ILO data portals, Namibian government/Ministry of Finance/Parliament sites, and news aggregators.

**Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) – Labour Market / Unemployment Data**  
- URL: https://nsa.org.na/ (main site); https://microdata.nsanamibia.com/ (microdata portal for Labour Force Surveys); https://nsa.org.na/client/namibia-data-portal/ (Namibia Data Portal)  
- API: No (web portals and downloadable microdata/reports; no public API documented)  
- Update frequency: Periodic (Labour Force Surveys ~every 2–5 years; e.g., 2013/2014/2016/2018/2023; census-based unemployment releases)  
- Auth required: None (public downloads)[[1]](https://nsa.org.na/)

**Bank of Namibia (BoN) – Economic Indicators / Youth Employment & Macro Data**  
- URL: https://www.bon.com.na/ (Statistical Information section); Datasphere platform (interactive economic hub); Open Data Platform (ODP) links and quarterly bulletin downloads  
- API: No (primarily downloadable tables, zipped files, and interactive dashboards; open banking APIs under development but not for public statistical data)  
- Update frequency: Quarterly (bulletins, monetary/financial statistics, reserves); regular macroeconomic releases  
- Auth required: None (public access)[[2]](https://www.bon.com.na/)

**African Development Bank (AfDB) Open Data Platform / Socio-Economic Database**  
- URL: https://dataportal.opendataforafrica.org/ (AfDB Statistical Data Portal / Open Data for Africa)  
- API: Partial (SDMX-native support in ODP 2.0; data explorer and export tools; interoperable with country systems)  
- Update frequency: Ongoing/regular (country-level indicators across economic, social, infrastructure themes with Sub-Saharan breakdowns)  
- Auth required: None/free (public platform)[[3]](https://dataportal.opendataforafrica.org/)

**Namibia News RSS Feeds (Local/Regional Coverage)**  
- URL examples: Aggregators like https://rss.feedspot.com/namibia_news_rss_feeds/ (curated list including The Namibian, New Era, Namibia Sun, etc.); individual outlets often provide /feed or /rss endpoints; Global Voices Namibia section  
- API: No (standard RSS/Atom feeds; third-party aggregators like News API or newsdata.io offer Namibia-specific endpoints)  
- Update frequency: Daily/real-time (news items)  
- Auth required: None for basic RSS; paid tiers for commercial news APIs[[4]](https://rss.feedspot.com/namibia_news_rss_feeds/)

**Additional notes on NGOs/think tanks**: No prominent public data APIs identified specifically for Namibia crisis/poverty monitoring beyond portals already covered (e.g., NSA/OPHI Multidimensional Poverty Index data via NSA releases; HDX humanitarian datasets). Sources like the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Namibia or Afrobarometer provide reports but lack dedicated public APIs. Regional options (AfDB above) are the strongest fit for Sub-Saharan breakdowns. All listed sources are publicly accessible without inference or paid barriers beyond standard web use.