Namibians prefer financing development from own resources even if it means paying higher taxes, Afrobarometer survey shows

Windhoek, Nov 20 – A majority of Namibians say their country should finance its development from its own
resources rather than using external loans, even if it means paying higher taxes, a new
Afrobarometer survey indicates.
On related development questions, a majority of citizens see China’s activities as having
“some” or “a lot” of influence on the country’s economy – an influence more widely
seen as positive than negative. But South Africa far outranks China as the most popular
model for Namibia’s development.
Key findings
§ A majority (59%) of respondents say that as an independent nation, Namibia should
finance development from its own resources, even if it means paying more taxes.
One in three (34%) favour using external loans, even if it increases the country’s
indebtedness to foreighn countries and institutions (Figure 1).
§ Namibians are divided on whether external loans and development assistance
should come with strings attached to limit how the funds are spent and ensure that
the government promotes democracy and human rights (Figure 2).
§ Two in five Namibians (41%) say China’s economic activities have “a lot” of influence
on the Namibian economy. Just 7% believe they have no influence, whilst 22% say
they “don’t know” (Figure 3).
§ Half (49%) of Namibians perceive China’s economic activities as having a positive
effect on the country – more than twice as many as see its influence as negative
(22%) (Figure 4).
§ South Africa is the most popular model for the development of Namibia (cited by
38% of respondents), followed by the United States (17%). Only one in 10 look to
Britain (11%) and China (11%) as development models – the same proportion who say
Namibia should follow its own model (Figure 4).
Afrobarometer surveys
Afrobarometer heads a pan-African, nonpartisan research network that conducts public
attitude surveys on democracy, governance, economic conditions, and related issues across
Africa. Seven rounds of surveys were completed in up to 38 countries between 1999 and

1. Round 8 surveys are planned in at least 35 countries in 2019/2020. Afrobarometer
   conducts face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with nationally
   representative samples.
   The Afrobarometer team in Namibia, led by Survey Warehouse, interviewed 1,200 adult
   Namibians in August 2019. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted
   in Namibia in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2017

NDN Staffer