By Staff Reporter
The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has announced efforts to widen access to development finance for women and young entrepreneurs as it takes its financing solutions closer to communities across the country.
The announcement follows a four-day stakeholder outreach programme conducted from 27 to 30 July in the Omaheke, Kavango East and Kavango West regions.
The outreach forms part of DBN’s National Outreach Programme, aimed at increasing awareness of the bank’s financing solutions, gathering insights into regional development needs and improving access to development finance.
A major focus of the programme was DBN for Her, an initiative introduced earlier this year to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs.
The bank also promoted the ministry of finance’s national youth development fund, which provides targeted financing support to youth-owned enterprises.
DBN chief executive officer Titus Ndove said the strong participation during the outreach reflected growing demand for accessible and relevant development finance.
“The level of participation witnessed throughout the outreach demonstrates a growing demand for accessible and relevant development finance,” Ndove said.
He said initiatives such as DBN for Her and the National Youth Development Fund are broadening access to finance for women and young entrepreneurs, empowering them to establish and grow sustainable businesses.
DBN also engaged Governors and Regional Councils during the outreach to strengthen regional partnerships and reaffirm its commitment to working with local leadership to advance inclusive economic development.
Since its inception, DBN has invested more than N$23 billion in Namibian businesses across various productive sectors, supporting economic growth and employment creation.
The bank has approved financing amounting to N$356.19 million in Omaheke, N$331.92 million in Kavango East and N$131.34 million in Kavango West, supporting projects across different economic sectors.
DBN said it will continue expanding its nationwide outreach to ensure entrepreneurs, businesses and communities can engage directly with the bank and access financing opportunities that support sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity.
