Namibia Establishes SASASNET Committee to Strengthen Skills and Apprenticeship Training

Namibia Establishes SASASNET Committee to Strengthen Skills and Apprenticeship TTraining. Namibia has taken steps to strengthen its participation in skills development and apprenticeship initiatives following the establishment of a country focal committee for the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET).

The country held its first inception meeting for the SASASNET Country Focal Committee on 24 August 2026. The network, supported by the African Union, focuses on skills development and apprenticeship training within the informal economy.

The hybrid meeting was chaired by Ms Dalia Mwiya, Director of Vocational Education and Training at MEIYSAC and Namibia’s SASASNET Focal Person.

The committee brings together stakeholders from government, employers and business representatives, workers’ organisations and the Namibia Training Authority.

Representatives at the meeting included the Namibia Employers’ Federation, Namibia Bus and Taxi Association, Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, an independent TVET expert and MEIYSAC, which hosted the meeting.

Addressing participants, SASASNET Continental Secretary General Professor Ousman Sillah from The Gambia said Namibia had been identified for an ILO-funded pilot project on Work Based Learning.

Sillah congratulated Namibia on the progress made and noted the country’s participation in SASASNET activities. He also encouraged greater involvement from local stakeholders and said he was confident Namibia was on the right track.

Discussions during the meeting focused on SASASNET’s mandate, the draft Terms of Reference and how the network’s work could align with Namibia’s existing informal sector structures.

Members agreed to hold a workshop on 15 September 2026 to further refine the Terms of Reference.

The meeting also saw Namibia proposed as a potential host for the next SASASNET Continental Forum in 2028.