Navigating Social Protection Challenges for Namibia’s Informal Workforce

Namibia’s social protection system, while comprehensive in some aspects, has yet to make significant strides to capture the informal workforce, a substantial segment of the labour market. Although the system provides social security benefits like occupational injuries and maternity coverage for contributing workers, informal workers face significant barriers in accessing and sustaining these benefits due to irregular contributions stemming from their inconsistent, low, and sporadic incomes. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the vulnerabilities of informal workers, many of whom lost their jobs, livelihoods, and faced deteriorating health conditions. The current system inadequately protects these vulnerable groups and the aftermath of Covid-19, intensified discussions on enhancing social protection through proposals like a universal basic income grant and both contributory and non-contributory unemployment benefits for Namibians. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach that includes secondary sources and, interviews, this paper discusses the lived experiences of urban informal workers and the unemployed as they navigate the current social protection landscape and, its socio-economic impacts. It focuses on (a) informal workers’ and the unemployed persons’ experiences with current social protection programs, (b) barriers to accessing and benefiting from these programs, c) the impact on employment or economic activities, d) perceptions of whether current measures effectively support informal workers (e) suggestions for potential improvements to enhance access and benefits (f) perceptions of the effectiveness of current measures in alleviating poverty. This paper contributes to the discourse on social protection reform in Namibia, advocating for inclusive solutions to address the needs of the informal workforce and the unemployed.