Global CityIntelligence

Economy & jobs

Economy and jobs in Windhoek

Windhoek has a regional economy with strengths in government, mining and tourism.

Economy type
Regional center
Economy score
58/100

Economy overview

Windhoek has a regional economy with strengths in government, mining and tourism.

Windhoek, Namibia is classified as a regional center in our deterministic economy index. These are planning estimates derived from country economic priors and existing city signals — not measured GDP or labour-market statistics. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Key industries

The sectors that most shape the local economy, derived deterministically from country and city signals.

Key industries

  • Government
  • Mining
  • Tourism

Employment outlook

The breadth of the labour market and where opportunities concentrate.

Employment outlook

Employment58/100
Job market57/100

Windhoek's labour market is moderate, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, technology and education and research.

Salary potential

Estimated pay levels and how far local incomes stretch against the cost of living.

Salary potential

Salary potential57/100
Affordability-adjusted income63/100

The affordability-adjusted income score combines estimated pay with the local cost of living, indicating how far a typical income stretches in Windhoek.

Business environment

Conditions for operating and growing a business locally.

Business environment

Business environment58/100

This reflects infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the scale of the local market relative to peer cities.

Startup ecosystem

How supportive the local ecosystem is for new ventures.

Startup ecosystem

Startup ecosystem55/100
Innovation56/100

The startup ecosystem in Windhoek is moderate, supported by institutional and government presence.

Remote work suitability

Suitability for remote and distributed work.

Remote work suitability

Remote work58/100
Remote job availability59/100

Windhoek offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 58/100.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity and how it breaks down by sector.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity57/100
Technology55/100
Healthcare51/100
Finance54/100
Manufacturing52/100
Tourism61/100
Education54/100

Economy score

A 0–100 composite of employment, salary, business environment, startups, innovation, remote work, and affordability-adjusted income. Used consistently across the platform.

Economy score

Economy score58/100
Employment58/100
Salary57/100
Business environment58/100
Startup ecosystem55/100
Innovation56/100
Remote work58/100

Jobs score

A 0–100 labour-market composite and its sector components.

Jobs score

Job market57/100
Technology55/100
Healthcare51/100
Finance54/100
Manufacturing52/100
Tourism61/100
Education54/100
Remote availability59/100
Career opportunity57/100

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