The Bokamoso Entrepreneurial Centre in Windhoek

Windhoek, capital and economic centre of Namibia as well as home to around 500,000 inhabitants, draws young people from all corners of the country seeking higher education and training, employment in government and corporate sector jobs, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Around 40 percent of the population of the capital region Khomas is aged between 15 and 34.

The regional and local authorities thus have made start-ups and entrepreneurship a strategic priority, significantly improving the political and regulatory framework for business creation. The Bokamoso Entrepreneurial Centre supports small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly start-ups run by young people. Over the past 16 years, the centre has reached out to and supported an estimated 1,200 young people aged between 18 and 35 in their entrepreneurial activities.

Initially, it operated primarily as a business incubator, providing basic infrastructure for SMEs. When, over time, it became clear that physical space alone was insufficient to enable businesses to operate beyond their day-to-day activities, the Centre introduced training, business development support and other capacity-building activities to foster sustainable business growth. Currently, the Centre is exploring its future strategic focus, undergoing an organisational development process supported through its sister city Bremen.