Sixty Namibian professionals have been selected from more than 800 applicants for a seven-month Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) programme aimed at strengthening data analysis and digital financial journalism skills.
The Financial Journalism Training Programme, launched in Windhoek on Tuesday, will train participants in the use and interpretation of financial and economic data, while providing access to Bloomberg Terminal resources and industry practitioners.
The programme is being delivered through a partnership involving Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), the International University of Management (IUM) and Strathmore Business School.
The curriculum covers data analysis, economics, finance, financial markets, public policy, climate reporting and financial journalism, as demand grows for journalists and communications professionals capable of interpreting increasingly complex economic datasets.
NUST Executive Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Human Sciences and Education Professor Efigenia Semente said the 60 participants were selected from more than 800 applicants drawn from media organisations, financial institutions, government ministries and regulatory bodies.
“Read data first, then write a story. Financial journalism demands much more of this discipline,” Semente said.
Namibia becomes the 10th African country to host the programme, following previous editions in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Ethiopia.
Bloomberg Program Manager for Corporate Philanthropy in Africa and the Middle East Ndivhuwo Nemukula said the initiative, established in 2014, has trained more than 1,000 journalists from 21 countries in business, finance and economic reporting.
International University of Management Vice Chancellor Professor Osmund Mwandemele said the training comes as Namibia’s economy becomes increasingly data-driven, requiring stronger skills to analyse and communicate financial and economic information.
“The long-term benefits of this programme extend beyond increasing the number of highly trained business and financial journalists. It enhances financial and data reporting skills and creates a lasting network of professionals,” Mwandemele said.
Bank of Namibia Technical Advisor to the Governor Romeo Nel said access to data alone was insufficient without the ability to interpret it accurately and place it in context.
“Financial journalism is part of the infrastructure of financial stability, not by carrying the central bank’s narrative, but by turning data into understanding, building financial literacy and subjecting institutions to scrutiny,” Nel said.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Theofelus said journalists have an important role in translating economic and financial data into information that the public can understand.
“There is a gap between the number being published and the number being understood. All 60 of you become an integral part in being asked to close that gap,” Theofelus said.
The Namibian cohort is expected to complete the programme in May 2027.
