
Namibia

Namibia is a mid-range performer across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. It performs among the world’s top 25 per cent of countries in Civil Liberties, Civic Engagement, Inclusive Suffrage and Predictable Enforcement. Namibia is a upper-middle-income country and its economy is heavily reliant on natural resources, particularly mining and agriculture. Recent oil discoveries may transform the country into a major oil producer in the future. It is one of the most unequal countries in the world (a legacy of apartheid rule under South Africa) and between 2019 and 2024, it experienced a notable decline in Economic Equality.
Namibia’s history contains several episodes of brutal colonial domination. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was a German colony. The Herero and Nama genocide (1904-1908), perpetrated by the Germans, still strains relations with Germany despite the recent agreement to pay reparations. From 1920 to 1990, Namibia was under South African rule and South Africa’s apartheid laws deprived Black Namibians of basic political and social rights and freedoms. As a result of these policies, White Namibians continue to dominate business and commercial farm ownership, despite making up only five per cent of the population. The South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) led the liberation forces against South Africa’s apartheid government during the Namibian War of Independence, a conflict which led to the country’s independence in 1990. Since then, SWAPO (now a political party) has remained in power. Though initially overwhelmingly popular, SWAPO’s support has eroded, in part because of corruption scandals and allegations of mismanagement. Corruption is a key driver in Namibian politics and a major concern for Namibians. So too is the high level of unemployment in the country, especially for the youth, who in recent years have taken to the streets to protest the issue. Political leaders and commentators frequently warn that the unemployment crisis could lead to social unrest.
Namibia is a mid-performer on the GSoD’s Gender Equality measure and issues in this area are politically salient. The very high rates of intimate partner violence, for example, have sparked protests in recent years. However, there are robust legal protections against discrimination and women's political representation is an area of strength, with parliamentary representation among the world’s highest. Since March 2025, women have also occupied the most senior positions in government, including the presidency and vice presidency (both firsts for Namibia), as well as a majority of cabinet-level ministerial posts. LGBTQIA+ rights have also gained political prominence in recent years, which have been marked by both progress and setbacks. In 2023 and 2024, the courts recognisedsame-sex marriages performed abroad and decriminalisedgay sex, however the government has since enacted legislation outlawing same-sex unions. Discrimination against Indigenous peoples, including the San and other smaller groups, prevents them from accessing health care, educationand police services. Having suffered extensive land dispossession, these groups experience particularly high levels of unemployment and poverty.
Looking ahead, it will be important to monitor the newly elected government’s progress in reducing unemployment and poverty and its impact on Basic Welfare and Economic Inequality. Government action around Absence of Corruption is another area to watch, in light of the president’s commitment to tackling graft. The trial of former politicians, businessmen and lawyers implicated in the Fishrot scandal also merit attention.
Last updated: July 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
New president appoints gender-balanced cabinet and first woman vice-president
Women’s political representation was strengthened in Namibia in March, when Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country’s first woman president, appointed a gender-balanced cabinet and another woman, Lucia Witbooi, as her vice-president – also a first for the country. Nandi-Ndaitwah announced her cabinet on 22 March, a day after she was sworn in as president, revealing that eight of the 14 ministers (57.1 per cent) were women (up from 42.9 per cent in the previous government). According to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Namibia is only the third African country to achieve a gender-balanced cabinet and the first in which women hold the positions of both president and vice-president. Further, on 21 March, Namibia’s National Assembly elected its first woman speaker, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who had previously served as the country’s Prime Minister.
Sources: The Namibian (1), British Broadcasting Corporation, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, The Namibian (2)
December 2024
Namibia enacts legislation outlawing same-sex marriage
On 30 December, Namibia gazetted a new law outlawing same-sex marriage. The Marriage Act, which was signed by President Nangolo Mbumba on 2 October 2024, defines marriage as ‘a legal union…between two persons of the opposite sex’ and explicitly excludes recognition of same sex marriages, wherever they were concluded. While Namibian law did not previously recognise same-sex marriages concluded in the country, the Marriage Act appears to contradict a May 2023 Supreme Court ruling which, on constitutional grounds, recognised such marriages when concluded abroad. By defining sex solely as assigned at birth, the law also excludes the marriage rights of heterosexual transgender persons. An official who conducts a marriage that contravenes these provisions is liable to a prison sentence of up to four years and/or a fine. As of mid-January 2025, the government had not announced when the Marriage Act would come into force, as the legislation requires.
Sources: Marriage Act, The Namibian, International IDEA, Mamba Online, Namibian Sun.
November 2024
Ruling SWAPO party declared winner in general elections
Namibia’s ruling party, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) won the country’s general election, which was originally scheduled for 27 November but later extended in some areas to 30 November. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won the presidential election with 58.1 per cent of the popular vote, and SWAPO secured 51 of the 96 (53.1 per cent) directly elected seats in the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the country’s bicameral parliament. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) came second, winning 20 seats, followed by Affirmative Repositioning (6 seats). Turnout for the presidential election was 76.1 per cent of registered voters (up from 60.8 per cent in 2019) and 75.7 per cent for the legislative contest (up from 60.4 per cent). Nandi-Ndaitwah was the only woman among the 15 presidential candidates and is set to become Namibia’s first female president. The election results, however, were disputed by opposition parties, who alleged several irregularities. In early December, they were reported to be preparing legal challenges. International election observers, while noting logistical problems and delays, concluded that the elections had been peaceful and conducted in accordance with Namibia’s legal framework.
Sources: Electoral Commission of Namibia (1), Electoral Commission of Namibia (2), International IDEA, The Conversation, The Windhoek Observer, Daily Maverick, African Union Election Observation Mission, SADC Electoral Observation Mission
Namibia elects first female president
In late November, Namibians elected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the country’s first female president (and the first in Southern Africa). According to official results, Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is a member of the governing South West Africa Peoples Organisation (SWAPO) party, won 58.1 per cent of the popular vote and is due to be inaugurated on 21 March 2025. She currently serves as Namibia’s Vice-President and has previously held several ministerial positions.
Sources: Electoral Commission of Namibia, The Namibian, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Conversation
Namibia records highest voter turnout in two decades
Voter turnout in Namibia’s presidential and parliamentary elections reached a two-decade high. According to data from the Electoral Commission of Namibia, 76.1 per cent of registered voters cast their ballot in the presidential election and the figure was slightly lower for the parliamentary poll (75.7 per cent). Compared to the previous general election in 2019 (when turnout for the presidential election was 60.8 per cent and for the parliamentary elections it was 60.4 per cent), these represent increases of 15.3 percentage points. Ninety-one per cent of eligible voters were registered to vote in the 2024 elections.
Sources: Electoral Commission of Namibia (1), Electoral Commission of Namibia (2), International IDEA, The Namibian
June 2024
High Court strikes down colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex conduct
In a judgement delivered on 21 June, Namibia’s High Court struck down colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex conduct, ruling that they unfairly discriminated against gay men and were therefore unconstitutional. According to the Human Dignity Trust, an NGO, it is unclear whether, since independence, anyone engaged in consensual same sex activity had been convicted under the ‘sodomy’ and ‘unnatural sexual offences’ laws. It stated, however, that there had been arrests and that the laws had enabled stigma and discrimination that had affected the whole of the LGBTQIA+ community. The case was brought by prominent Namibian LGBTQIA+ activist, Friedel Dausab.
Sources: High Court of Namibia, The Conversation, Human Dignity Trust
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