The Co-Creation Hub, with support from various organisations and the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, has concluded its one-week Creative Skills Exchange and Industry Development Programme on Friday in the capital, covering creative sectors including film, fashion, music and visual art.
Some of Co-Creations Hubs' (CcHUB) key activities include innovation funding and skills development as well as research and policy on technology, education, digital rights and governance.
Managing Director of Cchub, Ojoma Achai, says the organisation believes that prosperity in Africa can be achieved through innovation and creativity of its people.
She says that over the past two years they have garnered significant support from the creative industry in Namibia, also having supported over 200 startups.
"In the last two years, we've run our community to over 5,000 people in Namibian businesses that we support. We have over 100 members of our co-working space. We have supported over 200 startups. And over 50 of those startups started as a consequence of an activity we held in the last two years or have reported business growth in the last two years."
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, commended CcHub for creating a space for young innovators and creators to learn, collaborate, develop ideas and grow businesses.
He added that it is important for young people to identify new opportunities and build pathways to participate meaningfully in the economy.
"We want a Namibian creative sector that is competitive, that remains innovative, and that is prioritised. We want Namibian creative products, services, and intellectual property to travel. As the governor said, we should be able to do business from where we live. We want our designers, we want our filmmakers, our musicians, our writers, our creators, our dressmakers, our digital content creators, and our cultural entrepreneurs to participate meaningfully."
Also in attendance was the Governor of the Oshikoto Region, Sacky Kathindi, who stated that Namibia is not challenged with a lack of talent but rather with ensuring that talent has access to opportunities, infrastructures, skills, finances, and markets necessary to succeed.
"We need a strong regional creative ecosystem, including partnerships with regional councils, local authorities, educational institutions, the private sector, and the tourism industry. We should have more regional creative hubs, exceptions, festivals, marketplaces, and training opportunities. We must also connect regional creatives to digital platforms and international markets."