The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) is a Non-Profit Organization which operates as an autonomous entity in the Presidency. It is pronounced as a Public Enterprise and is mandated to promote investments and MSME development. Therefore, the MSME Development, Innovation and Acceleration Department is responsible for coordinating targeted interventions to support MSME’s.
Information is the cornerstone of efficient decision making. Sadly, despite all the technological advancements that now facilitate the collection and storage of information, the slow adoption of the use of data as a basis for MSME development interventions in our country have resulted in very little impact. It is commonly known that digitization improves process efficiency, lowers transaction costs and enables better control of project execution both for institutions and the beneficiaries of public services. The early adoption of digitization in advanced countries has resulted in economic benefits that are 20% higher than other countries.
Since the inception of our national MSME mandate in 1997, numerous interventions and projects have been implemented. However, measuring the impact thereof has been challenging due to the absence of a central repository of information. Digital technologies and applications will, therefore, contribute to the economic growth, societal well-being and the effective governance of the Namibian MSME sector.
The MSME department, therefore, developed the IN4MSME mobile application to achieve the following objectives:
Universal access to MSME support via digital platforms
Free and convenient access to information for and about MSMEs
Ensure ease of access to accurate and reliable information
Digital ecosystem to serve as a central repository of all information pertaining to MSMEs
The main purpose of the application is to promote start-ups that will solve national problems, augment private sector incubation capacity, facilitate local & international market access and connect MSMEs & Financiers.