Namibian companies have formed a corporate social investment platform called Mukopano that will connect non-governmental organisations and funders and create a central database for corporate social investments.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Emma Kantema said corporate governance requires corporate citizenship, urging businesses to support national priorities such as poverty reduction, unemployment and youth empowerment.

“In terms of the objectives, the areas that the Mukopano panel will focus on — issues of poverty, unemployment and youth empowerment — will be covered under the internship programme,” Kantema-Gaomas said. “For us, it is to reaffirm and commit our support where we can. We look forward to the success of the Mukopano panel because, as the president always says, one head, one mind; together we can improve and uplift vulnerable members of society.”

Tim Ekandjo, Chief Brand, Marketing, Communication and Sustainability Officer at MTC, said Mukopano brings partners together to maximise their social impact. The initiative aims to raise awareness of urgent community needs and align corporate investments with national priorities.

“We want to live in a country where our investments are geared towards the most pressing needs. Otherwise, we will not be making an impact,” Ekandjo said. “We want to align our collective investment with national priorities identified in NDP 6 — high levels of unemployment, inequalities, education and health. We also want to showcase and measure impact and encourage partnerships among stakeholders.”

Ekandjo said capacity building through leadership development and influencing policy are key objectives, with a focus on creating a corporate social investment framework for Namibia. He added that corporates will benefit through reputation, employee engagement and risk management, while NGOs will gain access to funding and scalability.