Namibia Gateway to Scale Startups

Accelerate 36 is an initiative to do exactly that, catalysed by industry pioneers. It seeks to align policymakers, regulators, pension funds, capital markets, startup ecosystem players and founders around one shared objective:

To transform Windhoek into a structured, capital-efficient startup hub and expand Namibia’s investable universe for generations to come.

Vision 36

Namibia stands at an exciting moment.

Across the world, nations that transformed their economies did so by mobilising capital, talent and governance into a single direction. They built systems that turned innovation into institutions, and institutions into long-term prosperity.

Accelerate 36 is anchored in this same conviction.

Why This Matters

Why This Matters

Namibia is rich in natural resources. But the next wave of prosperity will be built on intellectual capital.

Today:

Strict unemployment remains high, particularly among the youth.

The domestic listed investable universe remains small and concentrated.
Pension funds are mandated to allocate 3.5% to unlisted investments (approximately N$8.6 billion), yet much of this capital struggles to find institutional-grade opportunities.
SMEs contribute significantly to GDP, but too few scale into governance-ready, investable enterprises.

At the same time, global evidence is clear:

High-growth young companies drive:

  • Disproportionate job creation
  • Productivity gains
  • Technological diffusion
  • Export competitiveness
  • Long-term wealth formation

The question is not whether Namibia has talent.

The question is whether Namibia has the architecture to support it.

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From Innovation to Institution

Well-functioning stock exchanges are not merely trading platforms. They are national engines

They:

  • Channel domestic savings into productive investment
  • Enforce transparency and governance discipline
  • Enable liquidity and long-term capital formation
  • Expand opportunity beyond traditional sectors
  • Anchor economic confidence

The NSX Development Capital Board (DevX) offers a regulated bridge between entrepreneurial growth and public markets.

How do we systematically transform private innovation into public wealth?

Vision 36: 100 Scalable Namibian Companies

In 2000, Namibia had 11 primary listed companies.
In 2025, that number remains 11.
We propose a generational ambition:
  • Build a predictable pipeline of scalable ventures
  • List qualified companies on the Development Capital Board
  • Graduate mature firms to the Main Board
  • Expand the listed universe to 100 companies by 2036
  • Deepen liquidity and investor participation
This is not about one event.
It is about building a national production system for growth.

Build. Grow. List. Scale.

Accelerate 36 proposes a disciplined, staged pathway:

Validate

Identify and strengthen high-potential ventures with:

  • Robust financial discipline
  • Governance structures
  • Market scalability
  • Audited reporting frameworks

List

Transition qualified companies onto DevX under regulated requirements:

  • Skilled boards
  • Transparent disclosure
  • Institutional-grade oversight

Grow

Enable structured capital raises, partnerships and operational scale.

Graduate

Migrate mature firms to the Main Board to strengthen Namibia’s public markets.

Liquidity does not precede discipline.

It follows it.

Why This Matters for Pension Funds

Namibian pension funds safeguard the retirement security of future generations. A shrinking domestic investable universe limits diversification and long-term growth exposure.

A structured startup-to-listing model provides:

  • Governance-led exposure to innovation
  • Transparent valuation mechanisms
  • Structured capital deployment
  • Risk-managed participation in growth sectors
  • A broader domestic asset base

This initiative is not about speculation.
It is about strengthening confidence in Namibia’s future productive capacity.

Vision 36

Windhoek as a Gateway:

  • Namibia’s scale is not a disadvantage.
  • Smaller systems move faster.
  • They coordinate more efficiently.
  • They build alignment more rapidly.

By:

  • Aligning accelerators and universities.
  • Encouraging diaspora and skilled immigration.
  • Connecting domestic capital with scalable ventures.
  • Building listing-ready governance from inception
Windhoek can become Africa’s most disciplined innovation gateway.
NEXT

10 March 2026

A Dialogue in Windhoek

Leaders from:

  • Ministry of Finance
  • Bank of Namibia
  • NAMFISA
  • NSX
  • Pension funds
  • Asset managers
  • Accelerators
  • Ecosystem enablers
  • Selected high-growth ventures

…will convene to move from aspiration to coordinated execution.

Download Now Accelerate 36 Vision
Download Now Listing Blueprint
Download Now Background Research

The objective:

To explore how Namibia can responsibly strengthen its early-stage and growth-stage capital markets ecosystem by linking scalable startups to structured listing pathways on the NSX Development Capital Board. This will broaden the investable universe, enhance domestic capital allocation, and support economic diversification and job creation. Thematic focus areas include:

  • Transform Windhoek into the Startup Hub of Africa
  • The listing of Startups on the Development Capital Board of the NSX
  • Develop the early-stage startup ecosystem
Register for the 10 March 2026 Summit

Partner in Accelerate 36 Namibia.

Help shape the next chapter of Namibia’s economy.

Join the Initiative

If you are:

  • A policymaker
  • A regulator
  • A pension trustee
  • An asset manager
  • A founder
  • A capital markets partner

You are part of this architecture.