Lack of Government Support
While the Namibian government has committed to supporting the arts, including the music industry, as a way to support freedom of expression and work toward sustainable development, musicians today feel that there is a disconnect between the Ministry and the people it is meant to serve.
Does the Government Appreciate Namibian Musicians?
Musicians expressed a sense that the arts in general, and music in particular, are undersupported in Namibia. They acknowledged that Namibia faces other issues, like high unemployment and a need to develop infrastructure. However, given the government’s stated goal of supporting the arts, the lack of support many Namibian musicians feel reveals that there is room for improvement.
Musicians called out the government for exploiting local artists for political gain. Events like the funerals of Namibia’s third president, Dr. Hage Geingob, and first president, Dr. Sam Nujoma, which took place in February 2024 and March 2025, respectively, have spent so much money that the government has been forced to institute a moratorium on state funerals. While caterers, security guards, and others are paid for their contributions, musicians are expected to contribute for free, highlighting the way that the government sees them.
Musicians acknowledged that the government is trying to support the arts more effectively. Progress is a slow process, but there is cause for optimism. However, the issues they face today indicate that the government’s efforts have not yet been successful.
Centralization of Opportunities
Although there are some opportunities for performance and education in Namibia, they are highly centralized. In an article from 2015, Shishani Vranckx, a Namibian musician and academic, wrote that Windhoek, which is Namibia’s capital and largest city, was “the musical centre of the country, offering most possibilities regarding performances, major events, recording, promotion and networking,” along with “almost all arts institutions, broadcasters, arts-related activities and arts education opportunities.” Musicians observe that the situation is largely the same today, with educational institutions like COTA and UNAM only offering music courses in Windhoek, venues limited to larger cities and towns, and grants which are not designed to accommodate those living outside of Windhoek. Even within Windhoek, opportunities are centralized. Because of the legacy of apartheid, Windhoek continues to be segregated not by race, but by socioeconomic status, with the majority of music venues situated in or near the Central Business District (CBD), forcing Namibians living in Katutura to travel further to attend concerts or musicals.
Royalties
Many musicians spoke about the difficulty of actually receiving royalties in Namibia and the frustration caused by the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM). NASCAM is meant to function as a collective management organization (CMO), administering the copyrights of artists and helping them to collect royalties. While radio stations are required to submit their logs, recording artists who go to NASCAM to collect their royalty payments are often told that they have not earned as much as they expected, forcing them to do the work of contacting radio stations one by one. In fact, NASCAM only tracks radio play based on Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) stations, putting artists whose music plays on other stations at a huge disadvantage.
Meanwhile, NASCAM collects payments from venue owners, radio stations, and artists themselves. Although NASCAM itself is not a government institution, it functions like one, and even checks venue licenses with the help of the police. Because of the power NASCAM holds, artists have few alternatives and little agency. Despite its issues, some participants encouraged local musicians to register with NASCAM anyway. Others have chosen to register with organizations in neighboring countries, like the South African Music Royalties Organization (SAMRO).
Visas
Several musicians brought up the difficulty of obtaining work permits for musicians from outside Namibia, which is a significant obstacle to international collaboration. Collaborations between musicians often come together on the spur of the moment, and many other countries allow musicians to obtain work permits quickly and with few restrictions. However, the process in Namibia is long and expensive, and the permits themselves are overly restrictive, forcing visiting musicians to apply for separate permits for every performance. Visiting musicians must also pay “licensing fees” to receive a letter from NASCAM, adding to the costs of permits, airfare, and accommodation. This discourages artists from visiting, while also making it impractical or impossible for local festivals, ensembles, or organizations to invite artists from outside Namibia.
There are severe consequences for falling afoul of these restrictions. Musicians who violate the terms of their permits are fined and can be blacklisted, threatening their careers.
Music Education
Despite the importance of music education for ensuring that young people have opportunities to engage in musicking and develop their skills, musicians observed that music education is not a priority in Namibia. While music is included in public school curriculum, it is not a subject in its own right, and is combined with theater and dance. This prevents learners from gaining exposure to Namibian music as well as from opportunities to create music.
Opportunities for higher education in music are also lacking. UNAM offers diploma-level, master’s-level and doctoral-level programs in performing arts, while COTA offers a certificate-level program in music as well as one-year courses for learners in sound production, dance, and piano. However, COTA is based in Windhoek, and despite UNAM’s impressive 12 satellite campuses throughout the country, performing arts is only offered at the central campus in Windhoek. This makes it difficult for prospective students from outside Windhoek to access these programs.
In addition, these institutions do not always prepare graduates to be successful. Part of the issue is a chronic lack of funding, which affects facilities, equipment, and staffing. Graduates of these institutions commented that the curriculum does not emphasize the business and production skills that are necessary for success in the modern music industry.
Financial Considerations: A Balancing Act
Making music is an expensive proposition, and others may not be aware of the significant time and money that musicians invest into their work. Production, travel and accommodation, marketing, and NASCAM fees can add up for musicians, while ensembles must also pay for travel and bringing in guest artists.
These financial considerations make it very difficult to make a living in the Namibian music industry. Many Namibians are forced to choose full-time jobs or education over music. For some, having a source of income outside of music takes some of the pressure off, allowing them to focus on being creative. However, attending to different commitments is a delicate balancing act which can cause musicians to sacrifice their wellbeing. This balancing act can make it difficult to devote attention to musicking.
Ensembles like local choirs or the Namibian National Symphony Orchestra (NNSO) face more complex struggles. While the organizations themselves may receive funding from the government or from private sponsors, members of these ensembles actually pay dues to participate, in contrast to popular artists who earn money from performing. In addition, coordinating work schedules adds another level of difficulty for these ensembles. Despite personal sacrifices, maintaining this balancing act is sometimes impossible.
Venues also face serious financial difficulties, and rather than supporting local venues, musicians commented that government policies seem to make things worse. Sound equipment is very expensive, and for small venues, renting equipment can cut into the amount that they can actually afford to pay musicians. Even public institutions struggle to maintain a collection of sound equipment beyond the bare essentials.
Meanwhile, the number of regulations that venues and festivals must follow, and the fees associated with these regulations, make it almost impossible for many venues and festivals to continue operating. While noise ordinances have their place, they have been weaponized against venues like Soundgarden. Despite the lack of formal venues, existing public spaces are not being utilized. Because of these obstacles, performance opportunities are extremely limited.
Technological Barriers
Advances in digital technology have fundamentally changed the global music industry, giving musicians greater control over their work and their ability to monetize it. However, Namibian musicians noted that the country’s failure to keep up with these advances holds them back in a number of ways. Musicians questioned NASCAM’s failure to effectively track radio play, pointing out that they have not adopted ISRC codes. They suggested that implementing digital technology or even AI could allow it to do its job more effectively. Until recently, Namibian digital creators, including music artists, were unable to profit from online platforms like YouTube. The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has recently made efforts to work with platforms like YouTube and Google to ensure that Namibian creators can monetize their content, prompting optimism. However, a lack of digital infrastructure and unequal access to equipment indicate that Namibian musicians need more support through infrastructure and funding in order to empower them to be successful in the modern music industry.
Cultural Conservatism
Cultural conservatism is a factor which seriously limits Namibian musicians’ ability to express themselves freely. Many Namibians do not take music as a career seriously. This perception stems partially from the very real economic insecurity that many Namibians face, making many reluctant to spend money on concert tickets or CDs. However, being a musician also carries a stigma that goes beyond economic concerns. More importantly, because many Namibians don’t see music as a viable career, young people who show an interest in music are not always supported in pursuing it. Even those who are already pursuing a career in music can experience a lack of support from family members.
Cultural conservatism, shaped by both traditional culture and Christian values, also limits certain forms of expression. It is not common to hear explicit lyrics on daytime radio in Namibia, demonstrating that the way the media treats expression is shaped by Christian values. Given the ongoing battle for acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in Namibia, LGBTQ+ musicians cannot express their identities in music openly. Hip-hop music in particular is seen by many as both un-Christian and un-Namibian, although other foreign genres like kwaito are accepted.
Musicians also noted that social norms can hold them back from expressing themselves freely in some ways. They observed a tendency among Namibians to be critical of anything that stands out, from dress to behavior to messages. As a result, many artists feel a pressure to fit in and avoid controversy.
Musicians also observed that audiences themselves can be wary of standing out. They suggested different cultural reasons for this, including Namibia’s small population, which can make some feel like they’re always being watched, and the violence of the liberation struggle, which is still fresh in many Namibians’ minds. After apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission helped many South Africans to put it behind them. However, Namibians never got that platform, and some feel that a valuable opportunity for healing was lost.
Undervaluing Local Artists
One issue raised by a number of participants is a tendency among Namibians to undervalue their own musicians. Part of the problem is a preference for South African music and musicians. This preference influences event organizers and venue owners, who often choose to bring in South African or other musicians to perform at local venues and festivals, rather than working with local musicians. When Namibian musicians don’t get access to these platforms, Namibian audiences receive less exposure to their own music, leading to a lack of belief in the skills of Namibian musicians and composers.
This ultimately results in a tendency to see music, and by extension local musicians, as entertainment. Some Namibian choir directors choose to perform South African repertoire, while local singers and bands often perform covers. Although some have achieved success this way, many feel that they are unable to express themselves freely.
Musicians protested that local music should be seen as a valuable resource. They pointed out that the success of the Namibian music industry can help boost the Namibian economy. With better support and more platforms, local musicians can gain exposure and express themselves more freely. However, the government’s failure to invest in local music sends the message that neither their economic nor cultural value is important.
Artists’ Lack of Training in Business and Production
Namibian musicians face the reality that success in the modern music industry requires either managing social media, booking performances, administrative tasks, and other responsibilities on their own, or working with producers and publicists. NASCAM’s inability to effectively administer musicians’ IP rights can force them to manage royalties on their own. Many musicians do not understand how to promote themselves or negotiate deals with producers. However, many musicians are reluctant to work with industry professionals out of a fear that they will be taken advantage of.
Recognizing that this lack of training and education holds local musicians back, the National Arts Council of Namibia (NACN) and the NTN, along with cultural institutions like the FNCC and the Goethe-Institut, have introduced initiatives designed to help artists develop these skills, including the FNCC’s “Music Meets Entrepreneurship” project and the Goethe-Institut’s “Steps to a Professional Music Career” workshop, as well as regular workshops at the NTN for musicians and other creatives. These initiatives can help musicians develop the skills not only to create good music, but to market it effectively. However, administrators working at these institutions expressed frustration with musicians who are not prepared to work with them, indicating that getting local musicians to a basic level where they are able to present their work in an EPK (Electronic Press Kit), for example, may require work outside the scope of what these institutions can provide.