Windhoek
Poverty Eradication through Profit Sharing?

Tim Parkhouse and Nicole Bogott

In May 2015 His Excellency Dr. Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, encouraged the business community to consider profit sharing as a tool to fighting poverty in the country. In order to discuss this proposition in detail representatives from public and private sector came together on the 15th of July.

There are different ways of sharing profit that Tim Parkhouse, Secretary General of the Namibian Employers Federation, and Graeme de Bruyn, Managing Director of the Allan Graz Orbis Foundation in Namibia, elaborated on. The event was moderated by Mr. Grafton Whyte, Director of the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business.

The business community is already familiar with the concept of profit sharing as it is often used as a tool providing an incentive for employees. Mr. Tim Parkhouse, the Secretary General of the Namibian Employers Federation, came forward with the views from private sector emphasizing how important it is not to support any free handouts.

Graeme de Bruyn and Grafton Whyte

Managing Director of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation in Namibia, Graeme de Bruyn, put forward the idea to focus on what it is that Namibia needs to flourish rather than just asking  how to eradicte poverty in the country. In his view Namibia holds an explosion of opportunities.

Mr. Grafton Whyte, Director of the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business put forward the thought-provoking question if anyone even should be allowed in business who cannot pay people properly.

Business Breakfasts are a platform to create awareness on a variety of topics related to the economic sector. The event was co-hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) in collaboration with the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI).