The Minister of Urban and Rural Development (MURD), James Sankwasa, has received the Best Exceptional Achievement in Southern Africa in Housing and Urban Development, 2025, from the Africa Housing Awards.

 He received the award in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday. 

The Africa Housing Awards are aimed at celebrating the excellent achievements of individuals, companies and organisations in the housing and construction industry.

Housing delivery remains a challenge the world over, and in 2016, Namibia's housing backlog was estimated to be in excess of over 100,000 units.

The government mounted a rescue, resuscitating the housing drivers, and pushed other housing initiatives to narrow the gap.

This is by particularly focusing on ultra-low- and low-income groups, who constitute about 88% of urban citizens.

The Africa Housing Awards shows that Namibia was making progress, as Minister of MURD James Sankwasa receives an award after 8 months in office.

For him it was a motivation to continue to serve the people of Namibia, working with like-minded institutions at the continental and international levels through networking.

Just like all other African countries, Namibia's many towns feature silver structures as informal settlements continue to expand, stressing proper sanitation, which Sankwasa acknowledged is a challenge.

However, the government is optimistic that programmes such as the Informal Settlement Upgrading Affordable Housing Program under NDP 6 will address these shortcomings.

In the 2025/2026 financial year, the programme will deliver the establishment of 31 townships, servicing of 10,000 plots and provision of sanitation in urban areas. 

The idea is to move people from zinc structures into brick houses.

The minister told the audience in Nigeria that the government intends to construct about 50,000 housing units in addition to those provided by the housing development partners.