Impact Evaluation of Youth-Driven Innovation Projects: A course study for Bokamoso Innovation hub in the Khomas Region, Namibia

Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge in Namibia, particularly in low-income urban areas like Katutura. The City of Windhoek established the Bokamoso Incubation Hub as a response to support entrepreneurship development as means of fostering youth-led enterprises. The study evaluated the specific impact of youth-led innovative enterprises by assessing their ability of job creation and examined the experiences of the youth entrepreneurs at Bokamoso as well as capturing their challenges in their entrepreneurial journey. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed. First, quantitative data were collected through a structured survey from 15 incubated entrepreneurs to measure the relationship between types of business support (funding, mentorship, training, marketing skills) and the number of jobs created. A comparative analysis revealed that training & mentorship through government interventions like equipment scheme, the NTA and youth grants (Youth Development Fund) were the strongest significant predictors of employment creating. Subsequently, qualitative data from 15 in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions were analysed using thematic analysis to explain these findings not well addressed by the quantitative phase. The qualitative data revealed that process innovation training and skills to operate business (Customer care, financial management, digital software development) enhanced operational efficiency, for two joinery shops that have managed to increase the staff compliment from 2 to 8 allowing these business to create jobs. Printing and design due to machinery involved required more staff compared to agro-processing The findings revealed that incubation programs should be extended to other incubation hubs run and managed by City of Windhoek as well as extending such to youth entrepreneurship facilities in order to maximize their impact on job creation. The study concludes that the Bokamoso Hub’s greatest impact on youth unemployment is achieved not merely by supporting novel ideas, but by strategically fostering a culture of entrepreneurial mindset among the youth and support mechanism (funding, mentorship & start-up development).