A South African Brand and Marketing Strategist says national branding plays a critical role in shaping a country's global image and attracting investment to it.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, has appealed to financial institutions to provide low-income earners with loans to build houses.

Uutoni was speaking at the handover of serviced plots at the MTC Land Delivery Ground-breaking Ceremony at Okakarara.

The Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) has also called on MTC Namibia to give permanent employment to those who have been working on contract for years at the call centres.

The union says it has received several complaints from MTC's contract workers at the call centre.