UNLEASH Hacks help Namibian youth turn practical skills into sustainable opportunities

Lafika Joyce Heita

Young people in Windhoek and Outapi have explored how practical vocational skills can be transformed into entrepreneurial opportunities through two UNLEASH Hacks implemented under the SkillUp Namibia project.

The first Hack took place at KAYEC in Windhoek from 23-25 October 2026, followed by a second Hack at the DAPP Vocational Training School in Onambelela, Outapi, from 30 October to 1 November 2026.

Held under the theme ‘From Skills to Sustainable Opportunities’, the two Hacks brought together young people who had previously participated in short, practical SkillUp Namibia training courses in areas such as plumbing and sanitation, painting, door fitting and glazing, fencing, leatherwork and creative design.

The Hacks formed the next step in the SkillUp Namibia learning journey, moving beyond technical training to help participants explore how their skills could address real community needs, create products and services and open pathways towards self-employment and income generation.

Over three intensive days at each location, participants, referred to as Talents, worked in teams to identify challenges in their communities, understand the needs of potential users and customers, develop business and service ideas, build simple prototypes and test their solutions.

The process followed the UNLEASH innovation methodology, moving from problem framing and ideation to prototyping and pitching.

Trained local facilitators guided the teams, while volunteer experts from business, social development, finance, entrepreneurship and technical fields provided practical advice and feedback.

“The Hack is not only about creating a good idea. It is about helping young people understand a real problem, think about who their customer or user is, test a solution and then ask themselves: can this become a real opportunity for income or self-employment?” said Sisira Withanachchi, team lead of UNLEASH Hack Namibia and project manager at BGZ Berlin.

A particular focus was placed on helping participants connect the practical skills they had already gained through SkillUp Namibia with local market needs and opportunities.

“Many of the Talents already have useful practical skills. What the UNLEASH Hack adds is a structured process that helps them move from ‘I know how to do something’ to ‘I can use this skill to solve a problem and create an opportunity’,” said Kassian Amesho from the University of Namibia, lead facilitator and UNLEASH alumnus from Namibia.

For KAYEC Trust, the Windhoek Hack was closely linked to its broader work supporting young people through practical vocational training and pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.

“The most important part was that the ideas remained the ideas of the Talents themselves. Facilitators and experts challenged them, asked questions and provided guidance, but the teams had to make their own decisions and develop their own solutions. This is an important step in helping young people build confidence and see how the skills they have gained can create real opportunities,” said Nelson Prada, director of KAYEC Trust.

Each Hack culminated in a Dragon Pitching Session, during which teams presented their prototypes and business ideas to a judging panel.

The judges assessed the ideas based on their relevance, feasibility, creativity, sustainability and potential impact.

All participants received certificates in recognition of their participation, while the top three teams at each location were selected following the pitching sessions.

Members of these teams received medals in recognition of their achievements.

The winning team from each location was also awarded a toolbox equipped with tools relevant to their respective vocational skills, providing practical support towards developing their business ideas and pursuing self-employment opportunities.

As a further step, the winning teams from Windhoek and Outapi will have the opportunity to travel to Windhoek to present their business concepts to members of the business sector.

This will provide an opportunity to engage with potential business partners, receive feedback and explore possibilities for taking their ideas forward.

Reflecting on the Outapi Hack, Bikkie Seolwane, project manager at DAPP Namibia, highlighted the importance of providing young people with opportunities to apply their skills in practical ways.

“The Hack is an important opportunity for our participants, young people from surrounding communities, to put the practical skills they have learned into action. It encourages them to think creatively about how those skills can generate income, address local challenges and contribute to the well-being of their communities.

“We were especially pleased to see the confidence, creativity and commitment shown by the young talents during the Outapi Hack. Their ability to work together, develop ideas and explore practical solutions reflects what community development is all about: engaging young people in meaningful, hands-on activities and supporting them to become active contributors to their communities,” he said.

Beyond developing business ideas and prototypes, the Hacks created opportunities for peer learning, teamwork and confidence-building.

For many participants, it was their first experience of taking an identified community problem through a structured innovation process and developing it into a prototype and formal pitch.

A key feature of the programme was the involvement of local facilitators, volunteer experts and partner institutions, who supported the Talents without taking ownership of their ideas. This approach ensured that solutions were developed by the participants themselves and remained grounded in their own skills, experiences and communities.

SkillUp Namibia works with local partners, including KAYEC Trust, DAPP Namibia and the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID).

The project aims to strengthen vocational and technical skills, entrepreneurship, economic participation and civic engagement among young people with limited access to formal vocational education.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the State of Berlin through the Berlin State Office for Development Cooperation, under the German Government and Federal States Programme.

It is implemented in cooperation with GIZ and BGZ.

Building on the outcomes of the two Hacks, project partners will continue exploring how promising ideas, entrepreneurial approaches and lessons from the UNLEASH innovation process can be linked to wider SkillUp Namibia activities and future opportunities for participating young people.

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