Namibia's human capital and knowledge development for economic growth with equity

The present study of Namibia's human capital and knowledge development for economic growth with equity assesses Namibia's readiness to adopt a knowledge-based development strategy. It concludes that Namibia provides an enabling environment for a transformation to a knowledge economy. Key enablers include the presence of good governance and macroeconomic stability, joined by a fairly well developed infrastructure. The study specifically focuses attention on the critical role to be played by education and training, the weaknesses of the system, and its incentives for knowledge creation and innovation. Also, the study will prove to be an important part of the road map for Namibia's development and poverty reduction. What should not be lost in the focus on education and training for a knowledge economy is the potential negative impact of HIV/AIDS. Infection rates are among the highest in the world. This scourge alone can sidetrack, and reduce the benefits of initiatives to introduce a knowledge economy.