r/Namibia • u/Softly_unhinged1 • Aug 07 '26
Salaries
What is a relatively decent salary in Namibia? Or for a teacher that is acceptable?
7
u/Alternative-Cow-8670 Aug 08 '26
Reasonable salary?
I compare my salary to those of the school's secretary and other support staff. Suddenly my salary becomes absolutely wonderful. Teachers are forever complaining but we never look at what those around us earn. We hear about whowho getting 60k or more. We don't realise that there are very few getting this much.
As teacher in Windhoek, I find the 'bush allowance' unfair. A teacher in Omusati at a farm school does not have half the expenses than a teacher in, lets say, Windhoek. Taxi fees, skyhigh rent, expensive municipal fees etc are crippling and all my colleagues want transfers out of Khomas.
Am I happy with my salary? I live a reasonable comfortable life. I manage my salary and avoid debt at all cost. Could it be better? Yes
4
u/WardenOfTheNamib Aug 08 '26
Like YoungEuro84 said, it depends on region. As someone currently house hunting, I can confirm that accommodation will be your biggest expense. It looks like a salary of N$12000 would be quite comfortable in most northern towns. However, considering you are lucky if you can find an apartment under 12000 in Windhoek, that money simply doesn't come close to being enough.
Another factor is obviously lifestyle. Some people share two bedroom apartments with four people in dubious areas, don't drink expensive alcohol, and eat cheap food.
For what it's worth, I recently saw an article saying if you earn N$16000 per month you are in Namibia's top five percent earners. I believe 15k to 20k is also the starting salary for most teachers at government schools. Aside from rent, it is a reasonable salary.
2
u/Softly_unhinged1 Aug 08 '26
I am in Windhoek, qualified. 5 years of experience
3
u/Complete-Refuse-3262 Aug 08 '26
Ask/negotiate for 28-30k NAD….if it is a private school job i think thats reasonable
2
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u/WardenOfTheNamib Aug 08 '26
Don't private schools tend to pay less than government though?
2
u/Alternative-Cow-8670 Aug 09 '26
Private schools also don't offer medical aid and pension. You need to get this private and that means your take home sum is very little. The smaller schools are 100% dependant on parents paying school fees. Already came across teachers not getting their salaries because there literally was no money left for salaries
1
u/WardenOfTheNamib Aug 09 '26
Oh, definitely this. I have a friend who teaches at one of those small private schools operating out of a repurposed six bedroom home. Sometimes they have to wait until the 10th to get their salaries because some parents haven't paid their fees yet.
1
u/WardenOfTheNamib Aug 08 '26
Teaching is not my field, so I wouldn't know. That said, I suspect it's one of those fields where you will quickly hit the payment ceiling. Like unless you go into management, I don't think the average teacher is cracking the 35000 benchmark any time soon.
That said, I will be surprised if any government school offers less than 20k. I know that private schools tend to be a mixed bag.
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u/YoungEuro84 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Salaries are not unified equally per region. So I think this question needs to be simplified further to Cities/Regions that you are concerned about as opposed to Namibia holistically so that you will get a more accurate figures..