By Rinelda Mouton
As Namibia grapples with a housing crisis that has left an estimated one million people living in informal settlements, Yambuka Housing is positioning itself as a locally driven solution to the country’s growing shack problem.
The company recently showcased its affordable housing models to media houses, community leaders, informal traders, low-income earners and corporate entities, seeking to gauge public demand for housing units that can be built in as little as seven days and cost less than N$200,000.
The initiative comes after Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare declared housing and sanitation a state of emergency, highlighting the urgent need for affordable and dignified accommodation.
Yambuka Housing is a Namibian-owned, woman-championed company that uses alternative building materials and local skills to provide an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar construction.
The company offers two housing models: the Iyaloo House, a 22-square-metre unit comprising one bedroom, a bathroom and a combined kitchen and living area; and the Shavena House, a 43-square-metre unit with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a combined kitchen and living area.
Twapewa Kadhikwa, director of Yambuka Housing, said the company was established to help address the harsh reality faced by thousands of Namibians living in shacks, known locally as “Okabashu”.
“Eighty-seven percent of Namibians are in need of housing because they earn too little. An estimated 11 000 people move to towns annually in search of economic opportunities, adding further pressure to the housing shortage,” Kadhikwa said.
She said conventional financial institutions were often inaccessible to low-income earners, leaving many families with few options beyond informal settlements.
“Banks are not designed to serve low-income earners. Yambuka Housing exists for this reality. Low-income earners are our reality. They are our workers, our vendors, our police men and women, our relatives and our teachers. People, especially Namibians, deserve better,” she added.
Selma Oskar, a prospective Yambuka Housing client living in a shack in Windhoek’s Kilimanjaro informal settlement, the housing crisis is not a statistic but a daily reality.
Oskar said she dreams of living in a home that is safe, comfortable and spacious enough for her family to grow without the constant anxiety associated with shack living.
“Each morning I wake up in my humble shack, with sunlight filtering through the holes in the zinc. I start my day by fetching water from the nearby tap, cleaning the house and helping the children get ready for school,” Oskar said.
She said the lack of electricity and proper sanitation made life particularly difficult for families living in informal settlements.
“I fear that without change, my family will continue to live in hardship. But through it all, I have learned to be strong and to believe that things can change,” she noted.
Oskar urged leaders and policymakers to invest in informal settlements by providing proper sanitation, electricity, employment opportunities and support for small businesses.
“Remember that behind every shack is a family with hopes and dreams, just like yours. I want to see my community grow with better infrastructure and opportunities,” she said.
With its promise of affordable housing units built within seven days, Yambuka Housing believes it can offer thousands of Namibians a pathway out of shack living and into safer, more dignified homes.
