TITLE:
Navigating the Entrepreneurial Landscape: Unpacking the Major Challenges Faced by SMEs in Katima Mulilo, Namibia
AUTHORS:
Nico Sisinyize, Eric Tubatole
KEYWORDS:
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Entrepreneurial Development, Financial Constraints, Market Opportunities, Regulatory Environment
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.8,
August
12,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study examines the primary challenges confronting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the urban area of Katima Mulilo, Namibia. Employing a qualitative research approach with an exploratory design, the study aimed to gain in-depth understanding of the difficulties experienced by SME owners and operators. A total of ten (10) knowledgeable and experienced participants were purposefully selected from the Katima Mulilo Open Market and the Multi-Purpose Industrial Park. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews, and the responses were analysed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed a range of challenges affecting SMEs, including low profitability and limited access to financial resources, stringent business regulations, high costs of machinery, equipment, and materials, restricted market opportunities, inadequate customer care and relationship management, absence of standardized business practices, scarcity of affordable land and rental spaces, and the lack of formal business career pathways. To address these challenges and transform them into growth opportunities, the study recommends targeted capacity-building programmes, provision of affordable business equipment and materials, improved access to information on products and services, financial support through loans and grants, more flexible regulatory frameworks, and collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, donors, private sector actors, and local business communities. Implementing these measures could enhance the resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability of SMEs in Katima Mulilo.