National Housing Enterprise — state housing development organization constructing residential units nationwide, targeting 905 houses in 2025/2026 financial year.
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September 2026
New Era
National Housing Enterpriseestimatedhousing backlog at around 300,000 units
Source
“Namibia faces a housing backlog estimated by the National Housing Enterprise at around 300 000 units, with Simonis Storm putting the associated requirement at approximately N$76 billion.”
National Housing EnterprisereceivedN$1.5 billion allocation in 2025/26 budget for informal settlement upgrading and low-cost housing
Source
“The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) received an additional N$1.5 billion allocation in the 2025/26 national budget to support informal settlement upgrading and low-cost housing development.”
National Housing EnterprisereceivedN$1.5 billion in 2025/26 budget for low-cost housing
Source
“The National Housing Enterprise received an additional N$1.5 billion in the 2025/26 national budget to expand low-cost housing and upgrade informal settlements.”
National Housing Enterpriseis navigatingleadership transition amid ongoing housing delivery challenges
Source
“The development comes at a critical time for NHE as the institution navigates a leadership transition amid ongoing efforts to address housing delivery challenges across the country.”
The National Housing Enterprisedismissedurban and rural development minister James Sankwasa's call to build 10,000 houses a year
Source
“The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has dismissed urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa's call to build 10 000 houses a year, saying its official annual target is j...”
National Housing Enterprise (NHE)has been ordered toreinstate Willem Titus within 30 days
Source
“The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has been ordered to reinstate former executive Willem Titus within 30 days after the Labour Court found that his dismissal in 2021 was unfair.”
National Housing EnterprisedismissedWillem George Titus in 2021
Source
“The High Court has ordered the reinstatement of former National Housing Enterprise (NHE) sales and lending executive Willem George Titus, ruling that his 2021 dismissal was substan...”
The National Housing Enterprise (NHE)plans to construct905 houses across Namibia during 2025/2026 financial year
Source
“The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) plans to construct 905 houses across Namibia during the 2025/2026 financial year as part of efforts to reduce the country's growing housing backlog.”
A Simonis Storm Research analysis finds that home ownership in Namibia is becoming unattainable for most households due to weak incomes, inadequate serviced land supply, and high construction costs. The report estimates a gross monthly income of over N$43,000 is needed to afford the national average house price of N$1.46 million, while 54.1% of adults reported monthly incomes of N$2,000 or less.
A Simonis Storm Research analysis finds that home ownership in Namibia is becoming unattainable for most households due to weak incomes, inadequate serviced land supply, and high construction costs. The report estimates a gross monthly income of over N$43,000 is needed to afford the national average house price of N$1.46 million, while 54.1% of adults reported monthly incomes of N$2,000 or less.
A housing affordability report shows the average house price reached N$1.46 million in the second quarter of 2026, requiring a monthly income of about N$43,765 to secure financing. Housing expert Namene Kalili attributes the shortage to insufficient housing construction—Namibia needs to service around 5,000 plots annually but falls far short—compounded by building supply industry constraints.
Charene Labuschagne was crowned Miss Namibia 2026 at a ceremony at Die Dam Resort on Saturday evening after competing against nine other finalists. Rachelle Hamases was named first runner-up and Albertina Haimbala second runner-up; Labuschagne received prizes including a house, luxury vehicle, and cash.
More than 35,500 people are on waiting lists for residential land across Oshakati, Ondangwa, and Ongwediva, with Oshakati accounting for over 18,000 applicants. Local authorities cite rising demand for serviced land as a major challenge and are developing new townships to address the shortage.
Namibia's housing shortage has grown to approximately 300,000 units from about 80,000 in 2007, with rapid urbanisation and rising construction costs straining supply. Windhoek's population expands at 3.1% annually while informal settlements grow at 6.1%, with approximately 11,000 new informal dwellings added yearly against formal housing demand of 15,000 units annually.
Around 11,000 new shacks are erected annually across Namibia, reflecting an expanding housing crisis driven by urban migration that outpaces formal housing delivery. The estimated housing deficit has grown to approximately 300,000 homes, nearly four times higher than the 80,000-unit backlog recorded in 2007.
Around 11,000 new shacks are erected across Namibia annually, reflecting an urban migration and housing deficit deepening faster than formal housing delivery can address. Economists estimate Namibia's housing deficit has ballooned to around 300,000 homes, nearly four times higher than the 80,000-unit backlog recorded in 2007.
Swapo Party's Walvis Bay Rural district coordinator Patrick Barthomeus has denied allegations that the party is managing the municipal housing beneficiary list for the Farm 37 housing project from its district office, calling such claims "malicious lies and propaganda." He stated that Swapo Party district offices are not government institutions and lack the mandate or authority to carry out government functions like housing allocation.
Young professionals in Windhoek report that rising rental costs make independent living increasingly unaffordable despite employment, with tenants facing high prices, outdated units, and restrictive lease conditions that consume large portions of their salaries.
The minister of urban and rural development has directed the National Housing Enterprise board to extend chief executive Gisbertus Mukulu's contract until a replacement is appointed and assumes office, citing the need for stability and institutional memory during a leadership transition.
Walvis Bay Municipality has cancelled the sale of 67 erven, of which 66 were single residential plots for first-time buyers, following a ministerial directive. Non-residential plots will proceed with sale as planned.
An opinion piece argues that Prime Minister Ngurare is right to worry about housing repossessions but mistaken in criticizing banks for offering 20-year home loans; the author contends that longer loan terms are necessary to keep monthly payments affordable for ordinary workers, and that shorter terms would exclude all but the wealthy from homeownership.
The Labour Court found that the National Housing Enterprise's 2021 dismissal of former executive Willem Titus was unfair and ordered the company to reinstate him within 30 days and pay backpay from December 2021 to reinstatement, less any income earned in alternative employment. The court upheld findings that Titus committed misconduct but determined dismissal was disproportionately harsh a penalty.
The High Court has ordered the National Housing Enterprise to reinstate former sales and lending executive Willem George Titus and pay him N$3.7 million, finding his 2021 dismissal was substantive.
Less than 10% of the working population hold home loans; 70% of the population cannot afford formal housing due to low incomes and limited mortgage access, according to central bank data. Average house prices have risen from N$200,000 in 2000 to between N$1.3 million and N$1.4 million today, while the average working Namibian earns N$5,000 or less per month.
The National Housing Enterprise plans to construct 905 houses across Namibia during the 2025/2026 financial year as part of efforts to reduce the country's housing backlog. Since its establishment in 1993, NHE has constructed more than 21 545 housing units nationwide.
Mobile Telecommunications Limited and National Housing Enterprise have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand telecommunications infrastructure in NHE housing developments across Namibia. The partnership will include co-trenching opportunities for fibre installation and other telecommunications services, aiming to reduce costs and accelerate internet access for residents.
At the 52nd Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, Namibia outlined its national development drive centred on service delivery, economic resilience and governance reforms. The country emphasised the National Development Plan Six, which focuses on economic recovery, human development, green growth and effective governance, with poverty eradication and expanded social protection systems as key priorities.
The Walvis Bay municipal council has approved a plan to relocate residents illegally occupying land at Kuisebmond and other areas to a temporary site at farm 37, as part of measures to address illegal land occupation and enforce land management. The relocation will include selected backyard dwellers and 50 households from Narraville, with residents required to sign permission to occupy certificates that will regulate their temporary stay.
Rapid population growth and proliferation of informal backyard housing in Walvis Bay have driven electricity consumption to record levels, with the suburb of Kuisebmond alone consuming 54% of Swakopmund's total power use. The municipality faces increasing pressure to provide affordable housing and land, with approximately 23 000 backyard shacks housing 42 000 people and thousands more on waiting lists.
The Landless People's Movement boycotted President Nandi-Ndaitwah's State of the Nation Address, calling it political theatre that masks poor governance; the presidency responded that dialogue is essential in a democracy and that such absences represent a missed opportunity to raise concerns.
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has been allocated N$2 billion for 2026/2027, with an additional N$1.5 billion from the National Housing Enterprise to accelerate housing construction and address Namibia's housing backlog. The ministry has prioritised informal settlement formalisation and rural development, though infrastructure constraints—particularly ageing sewer systems requiring an estimated N$2.5 billion in upgrades—threaten to slow progress.
Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah defended the N$104 billion 2026/27 budget, stating it balances fiscal consolidation with economic support without introducing broad-based tax increases. She addressed parliamentary concerns about taxation, public debt levels, and sectoral allocations, emphasizing that development spending extends beyond the official figures and that agricultural financing should be viewed holistically including through Agribank.
As Namibia marked 36 years of independence, Bukalo Village Council reported progress in housing, water supply, road infrastructure, and local economic growth, with the village's population growing from 800 in 2011 to nearly 2,000 in 2023. Village Council CEO Anna Sazita attributed the developments to partnerships with the National Housing Enterprise and support from the Road Fund Administration, noting improvements in sewer systems and water pressure alongside new projects including a sports stadium and open market.
A land and spatial sciences professional warns that Namibia's new presidential task force on land and housing risks repeating the mistakes of the failed Mass Housing Development Programme unless it addresses past failures—including poor accountability, weak project management, cost overruns, unaffordable units, inadequate local authority support, and lack of transparency.
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has urged financial institutions to protect homeowners from repossession even after decades of payments, calling for a national dialogue to find fair solutions that prioritise "humanity over profit". He also questioned why housing loans span decades compared to vehicle loans and highlighted Namibia's severe housing crisis, with a backlog of over 300,000 houses.
An IPC parliamentarian criticized the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development's reduced N$1.9-billion budget, arguing it will fail to address Namibia's housing shortage. He noted the ministry received N$2.7 billion the previous year but built only 194 housing units in Windhoek and Opuwo combined, while an estimated 12,000 shacks are erected annually.
Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa has directed local authorities to stop allocating government-serviced land to private developers, arguing that public land should support affordable housing for low-income citizens rather than commercial developments targeting those who can afford houses of N$1.5–2 million. The minister said private developers should service their own land and charge market rates, while formalising informal settlements through certificates of ownership would enable residents to access bank loans.