How to start a small business in Namibia: the first steps

Guide / 6 October 2026 / ADA Consulting

Step 1: check that the idea works

Starting a business in Namibia costs money before it earns any. So find out first whether people near you have the need and what they already pay. Talk to fifteen people who could be customers, using the customer interview sheet, and read Will my business idea work? for the five checks. Not sure what to start? Look at what you already know how to do, what people around you complain about or travel to another town to buy, and what you could sell this week with the money you have.

Step 2: cost it before you register

Add up what one unit costs, what you pay every month whether you sell or not, and your own wage. Then see how many you must sell to break even and whether that number is realistic. The guide How to price a product has a worked example, and the costing sheet is free. Many people register first and cost later. It is cheaper the other way round.

Step 3: choose a form of business and register with BIPA

The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) registers close corporations (one to ten members) and companies. BIPA's pages show a name reservation fee of N$75 and N$150 to register a close corporation's founding statement (checked October 2026, amounts as BIPA's fee tables show them, effective January 2020). Which form suits you depends on how many owners there are and how you want to borrow and trade, so ask BIPA or a registered accountant. The steps, documents and fees are in How to register a business in Namibia (BIPA).

Step 4: open a business bank account

Keep business money apart from personal money from the start. Each bank has its own list of documents. As one example, FNB Namibia's published list for a sole proprietor asks for a Namibian ID or valid passport and, if you have one, a document showing your income tax number. For a close corporation it asks for the founding statement and the certificate of incorporation, among other things (checked October 2026). Ask the bank you choose for its current list.

Step 5: tax registration with NamRA

The Namibia Revenue Agency says that all income earned from business activities carried out in Namibia is taxable (checked October 2026). Ask NamRA how to register as a taxpayer and what applies to you. On VAT, NamRA's VAT brochure says registration is mandatory above N$500,000 in annual taxable turnover. The brochure is undated, so confirm the figure with NamRA before you rely on it.

Step 6: licences and permits

This is where rules vary most. A shop, a food business, accommodation or transport may each need something different from the town council or from a sector body. Ask your local authority first. In Rundu that is the Rundu Town Council. In May 2025 The Namibian reported the council saying that it had closed ten businesses without a fitness certificate and a business registration certificate on site. That is a news report, so ask the council what your business needs. We have not checked sector rules for this page, so ask the ministry or authority that covers your sector.

If you will employ anyone, the Social Security Commission's website says employers register with it and publishes a form for that. Ask the Commission what applies to you.

Step 7: keep records from day one

Write every sale and every cost on the day it happens. A paper cash book is enough. Print the free cash book template, which has the format and a filled-in example. If you cannot say where the money went, read I do not know where the money goes. Lenders and tax offices will both ask for these records later.

Step 8: find your first customers

Do not wait for everything to be perfect. The fifteen people you talked to in Step 1 are your first list: go back to them. Take five orders before you buy stock for fifty. Use a WhatsApp status, a notice where your customers already go, and word of mouth. Write down what each first customer asked for and what they paid, and check it against your costing.

Where to get help

You can do every step on this page yourself. If you want a second opinion, a Business Check-up is one hour for the price shown, and the Customer and Competitor Study does the customer research for you. If you will need a loan, read Funding for a small business in Namibia next.

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