Every day across Namibia, entrepreneurs make decisions that determine whether their businesses survive, grow, or shut their doors. Some are navigating unpredictable markets, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs, while others are balancing family responsibilities while trying to expand their enterprises. 

How entrepreneurs make these decisions – and the tools, skills, and behaviours they draw upon in making them – can have a significant influence on the resilience of their enterprises, and ultimately their success. In an increasingly uncertain global economy, this kind of resilience is no longer a theoretical ambition; it is a practical necessity.  

For Namibia, the importance of entrepreneurial resilience extends well beyond individual businesses. Micro, small, and medium‑sized enterprises (MSMEs) are central to livelihoods and economic activity. Speaking at the third Annual African Union (AU) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Forum in September 2024, now President Netumbo Nandi‑Ndaitwah noted that registered MSMEs contribute approximately 12% to Namibia’s GDP (The Brief | Namibia). A recent national diagnostic on informality estimated that the informal sector – predominantly comprised of small businesses – employs up to 58% of the labour force (BON 2025). Together, these figures point to a clear reality: Namibia’s economic resilience is deeply tied to the strength, adaptability, and sustainability of its entrepreneurs. 

Why Mindset Matters 

Entrepreneurship extends beyond just starting a business. At its core, it is a mindset that shapes how opportunities are identified, risks are managed, and setbacks are navigated. 

If entrepreneurial resilience is fundamentally about behaviour and decision-making, then entrepreneurship support must go beyond technical knowledge and address how entrepreneurs think and act. This is where the Empretec Programme comes in.  

Developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Empretec uses a behavioural-change methodology that goes beyond traditional classroom instruction. Through experiential learning, business simulations, and real-time problem-solving, participants are encouraged to practice and internalise entrepreneurial behaviours such as initiative, persistence, planning, self-confidence, and calculated risk-taking. The objective is not simply to transfer knowledge, but to cultivate habits that support effective decision-making in real-world business environments 

This approach is best understood in practice. For Sima, an Empretec participant and entrepreneur working in the disability space, one of the programme's greatest strengths was its practical, hands-on approach. Participants were challenged to establish and operate a business during the training itself, requiring them to identify opportunities, conduct market research, solve problems, and make decisions in real time. 

Reflecting on the experience, Sima explained that the process "tested me in ways I didn't expect and helped me build confidence, think creatively, and make better decisions about my business". He further noted that the programme helped him recognise both his strengths and areas for improvement, leaving him "more focused, more strategic, and clearer about where [he] can create value as an entrepreneur”. 

Sima's experience reflects a broader reality. What often differentiates enterprises that endure from those that do not is how entrepreneurs think, adapt, and respond to uncertainty. Competencies such as persistence, opportunity-seeking, calculated risk-taking, and forward planning enable entrepreneurs to make more effective decisions and navigate change. Strengthened at scale, these capabilities contribute not only to stronger enterprises, but also to a more dynamic and resilient economy.