HP-GSB Drives Green Finance and Sustainable Business Global Dialogue
The second International Conference on Finance and Sustainable Business (ICFSB 2026) was recently hosted by the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business (HP-GSB) at NUST. Held under the theme, “Rethinking Green Finance Innovations for Sustainable Business Models,” the conference brought together more than 100 delegates who participated in person and virtually from difference parts of the world including Namibia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Latvia, India, South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Policymakers, business leaders, academics, researchers, innovators, civil society representatives, postgraduate students and development partners explored how green finance could support commercially viable, environmentally responsible and socially inclusive business models.
Officially opening the ICFSB 2026, the Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Honourable Modestus Amutse, urged stakeholders to develop inclusive financing solutions that reach underserved communities, strengthen local industries and translate investment into measurable development outcomes.“A just transition cannot end where creditworthiness ends,” he said, emphasising the need for financing models that also serve rural households, unemployed young people and informal enterprises that may not meet conventional lending requirements.
In his welcoming remarks, NUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Frednard Gideon reflected on the pivotal role of universities in generating knowledge and innovation that respond to Namibia’s development challenges and create tangible opportunities for its people. “Knowledge must move beyond our lecture halls and research spaces to help solve the challenges our country faces,” he said.
The conference programme featured contributions from prominent local and international speakers, including United Nations Resident Coordinator in Namibia, Ms Hopolang Phororo; Professor David Mhlanga of Monash University, Australia; Professor Robert Ebo Hinson of the University of Ghana Business School; Professor Tshilidzi Eric Nenzhelele of the University of South Africa; Mr Gys Joubert, Managing Director of Gondwana Collection Namibia; and Mr Dumisani Masilela, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union. Their diverse perspectives enriched discussions on sustainable finance, innovation and inclusive economic development.
The conversations sparked at the ICFSB 2026 laid the foundation for action beyond the conference. Delegates were encouraged to transform shared knowledge into practical financing solutions, strategic partnerships and evidence-based policies capable of attracting investment, creating employment, strengthening local value chains and building long-term economic resilience. HP-GSB remains committed to bringing academia, government and industry together to advance sustainable solutions that deliver measurable impact across Namibia, Africa and beyond, though this conference which will remain an annual event.
