Business registrations down by 7.3% in 2022
The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) announced the performance of newly registered business entities for 2022, with the authority stating it observed a decline in overall business registrations by 7.3%, compared to the 2021 calendar year.
According to BIPA registrar Vivienne Katjiuongua, the authority recorded a total of 12 666 registrations on its business register from January and December 2022.
From the total number of registrations, 11 130 comprised Close Corporations (CCs), 1 153 were for companies, 318 registrations were for Section 21 companies (Associations not for Gain), 49 were defensive names and 16 were for foreign companies.
This number shows a decline of 7.3% from the same period in 2021 when the Authority recorded a total of 13 594 registrations.
“Although BIPA observed a decline of 9% in the registrations of CCs during 2022, compared to 2021, the authority saw an increase in the number of companies registered by 12%, compared to the previous year,” said Katjiuongua.
She further pointed out that from the 12 000 business entities that were registered, the authority also recorded a total of 869 deregistrations for 2022.
Of these, some 613 were CCs and 256 companies.
A total of five companies were recorded under liquidation during the same period.
Said Katjiuongua: “The number of
registrations fluctuates year-on-year, depending on the socioeconomic climate in Namibia and the appetite for investment in the country. Therefore, BIPA is confident that should the investment climate and economic activities improve, especially in the domestic market, we may see an uptake in new business registrations for the ensuing year.
Meanwhile, BIPA records indicate that 2 698 foreign nationals were recorded as either members, directors or shareholders in newly registered businesses.
The countries that topped the list of foreign business ownership in Namibia for 2022 were South Africa, recording 698 individuals registered as business owners, followed by Zimbabwe with 630, China with 239 and Nigeria with 104.
During the previous year (2021), foreign ownership Zimbabwe topped the list with 970 individuals registered as business owners.
Considering the number of newly registered entities in Namibia for the period under review, BIPA remains a critical player and an enabler for economic growth and development, as well as job creation.
As far as it relates to business ownership by gender, from the approximately 12 000 entities registered during 2022, BIPA recorded a total of 43 938 individuals as new business owners, of which 27-thousand are male and 17 000 are female.
Considering the total number of new business owners, 2 698 were foreign nationals, which constitutes 6% of the overall number
“Client service excellence remains a key strategic focus for BIPA, considering that we received over 30 000 walk-in clients between January and December 2022,” said Ockert Jansen, executive marketing and corporate communications at BIPA.
Since the introduction of its call centre in July 2021, BIPA has been able to improve its service provisions to clients telephonically and has recorded a total of 27 249 calls received during 2022, maintaining a service level of 82%.
Furthermore, the granting and protection of intellectual property rights (PRs) remains a critical mandate of the authority as outlined in terms of the BIPA Act (2016).
For the period under review, BIPA received a total of 778 trademark applications.
The authority also registered 1 478 trademarks, thereby granting exclusive rights to the rights owners for 10 years.
“Weare,however,disappointed with the number of voluntary registrations of copyright application received during 2022, as only 54 applications were received and certificates issued to copyright holders,” explained Jansen.