Employment in Namibia

Namibia's labour market includes private companies, public institutions, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, services and informal work. The 2023 Namibia Statistics Agency labour-force results recorded a working-age population of 1,876,122, a labour force of 867,247, 546,805 employed people and 320,442 unemployed people. The recorded unemployment rate was 36.9%, while unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 was approximately 44%. These statistics describe employment and unemployment but do not fully show job types, working conditions or informal employment. Among recorded employed people, elementary occupations accounted for 21.8%, agriculture, forestry and fishing for 16.1%, wholesale and retail for 10%, manufacturing for 9.8% and administrative and support services for 9.3%. No admin1-specific employment variation was established in the available research. A job seeker can register with Namibia's National Employment Service under the Employment Service Act 8/2011. The service registers job seekers and vacancies in the public and private sectors, supports matching and recommendations, provides career, vocational and labour-market guidance, and oversees psychometric services. It can also support internships and vocational attachments. Access is available through Labour Offices and NIEIS, the national employment information system. The service registers private employment agencies, but the available research does not establish a general placement guarantee or an official nationwide registration fee. A vacancy or recommendation does not itself create an employment contract. Training can be part of the path into employment. Namibia has state vocational training centres and private institutions, including providers registered with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) or accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA). An apprenticeship combines workplace learning with classroom study and can lead to a trade or occupational qualification. Costs and duration depend on the qualification and provider, and no general right to free training was established. A provider's registration or accreditation should be checked before payment. A written employment contract should match the agreed job, pay and working conditions. The Labour Act 11/2007 provides basic employment conditions, while a contract or collective agreement may provide more favourable terms. Paydays can be daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and payment is due no later than one hour after ordinary working hours on the payday. If employment ends before the normal payday, remuneration is due on the termination day. The employer must provide a written remuneration statement showing the wage period, hours worked, overtime, night work, Sunday and public-holiday work, gross pay, deductions and net pay. Employers must retain employment records for at least five years. From 1 January 2026, the general national minimum wage is N$18 per hour. The sector rates are N$15 per hour for domestic work, N$14 for agriculture and N$16 for security work. The minimum wage does not include defence-force, police, prison-service or central-intelligence employment. In-kind benefits, allowances, overtime, night work, Sunday and public-holiday payments, pension contributions, medical benefits and insurance do not form part of the basic wage used for the minimum-wage calculation. Ordinary working time is generally limited to 45 hours per week. The daily limit is generally 9 hours when the employee works five days or fewer per week and 8 hours when the employee works six days per week. Overtime requires an agreement and is generally limited to 10 hours per week and 3 hours per day. Overtime must be paid at least at 1.5 times the basic wage, while Sunday and public-holiday work must be paid at least at twice the basic wage. Work between 20:00 and 07:00 carries a 6% night-work addition. The spread-over period is limited to 12 hours. A weekly rest period must generally be at least 36 hours, and work exceeding five hours requires at least a one-hour meal interval. An agreement and notice can reduce that interval to 30 minutes. Annual leave is at least four weeks per leave cycle. This normally equals 20 working days for a five-day working week and 24 working days for a six-day working week. The sick-leave cycle lasts 36 months and provides at least 30 sick days for a five-day working week or 36 sick days for a six-day working week. During the first year, the minimum is one sick day for every 26 days worked. Medical proof can be required when sickness lasts more than two consecutive days. Compassionate leave is five paid working days in a 12-month period for the death or serious illness of a family member. Maternity leave is at least 12 weeks after six months of continuous service, normally four weeks before the expected confinement and eight weeks afterwards, with extended leave possible where medical necessity exists. The Social Security Commission (SSC) registers employers and employees. An employee receives an SSC card and normally joins the Maternity, Sick and Death Fund, the National Medical Benefit Fund and the National Pension Fund unless an approved alternative applies. The employer deducts the employee contribution and sends it together with the employer contribution. Fund benefits generally require at least six months of continuous membership and complete contributions. Workplace injuries and occupational diseases are handled through the Employees Compensation Act and the SSC Employee Compensation Fund. NamRA's pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) system requires the employer to deduct employment tax and provide the employee with a PAYE 5 certificate. An agreement cannot lawfully remove the employer's duty to deduct PAYE. The employer's records, remuneration statement, tax certificate and SSC information should agree with the actual employment terms and payments. Namibian employment safeguards prohibit forced labour, child labour, employment discrimination and sexual harassment. Workers have freedom of association. The Labour Inspectorate monitors basic conditions, wage orders, workplace welfare, complaints and arbitration awards. The Office of the Labour Commissioner (OLC) registers employment disputes and provides conciliation and arbitration pathways. A typical referral uses Labour Complaint form LC 21, a Summary of Dispute and Labour General form LG 36 through the OLC or a Labour Office. Dismissal legality and fairness can be challenged through this system. Notice periods depend on length of service: at least one day for service of four weeks or less, one week for more than four weeks up to one year, and one month for more than one year. Notice must be given in writing, and an employer's notice must state the reason. Payment instead of notice can apply. Notice cannot normally run during statutory leave. On termination, the employer must pay outstanding remuneration on the termination day, and unused annual leave is paid out when employment ends. Other post-employment claims may depend on SSC rules. Foreign workers do not receive automatic access to the Namibian labour market. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) handles employment authorization. A Short Term Employment Permit or work visa can cover work for up to six months, with fees of N$1,600 for up to three months and N$3,200 for up to six months. Work exceeding six months generally requires an Employment Permit, with a one-year fee of N$2,600. Applications can require a form, passport, qualifications translated into English, an employment contract, an employer explanation of why a Namibian candidate is unavailable, contract or tender evidence, and sometimes police clearance, medical reports and radiology results. Employer documents can include a work offer, company profile, bank-signed surety, local vacancy advertising, SSC registration and evidence that Namibian candidates were unsuccessful. Renewals can additionally require tax compliance and a Namibian training, skills-transfer or replacement plan. A valid work authorization is therefore a separate requirement from receiving a job offer. The available national research does not establish generally published job-seeker fees, admin1-specific employment rules or a general free-training entitlement. It also does not treat unemployment benefits as part of this employment coverage. Employment terms should be checked against the actual contract, sector, working pattern, authorization status and responsible Namibian institution.