Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP Inna Hengari has urged political parties to support local talent, particularly during their ongoing election campaigns. 

She called on fellow members to shift their focus from foreign performers and invest in Namibian talent.

She made the comments in response to a motion on the economic and cultural challenges faced by Namibian artists, which was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for further scrutiny.

"By using local artists, we're really going to unlock goals for these young people, these young artists who are already struggling to make ends meet. We have enough talent in the country that we can make use of instead of spending so much money on foreign artists who already have bigger platforms to sell their music. Let's invite our local artists to these political events to sell our messages, to sell our political events, our messages, and not necessarily just buy t-shirts for them and send them home with a bag of salad."

The motion highlights the dominance of foreign music on some Namibian radio stations, where over 80 percent of the content aired originates from foreign sources. 

This trend contributes to a considerable outflow of royalties, resulting in the marginalisation of Namibian artists and threatening the sustainability of the local creative industry.