Otjivero-Omitara Basic Income Grant (BIG) Pilot Project
The world's first village-wide universal basic income pilot, run from January 2008 to December 2009 in the Otjivero-Omitara settlement near Windhoek, Namibia. All residents registered as living there in July 2007 who were under age 60 received an unconditional monthly cash grant of N$100, funded by a coalition of Namibian civil society and church groups with international donor support. After the two-year pilot ended, a smaller monthly bridging allowance (N$80) continued to be paid to participants until March 2012. The pilot documented sharp reductions in poverty, child malnutrition, and crime, alongside increases in school attendance and small-business activity.
First village-wide UBI pilot, Unconditional cash transfer, Church-funded, Academic evaluation, Africa
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Namibian Basic Income Grant Coalition (BIG Coalition), c/o Economic & Social Justice Trust
- Country
- Namibia
Contact
- Website
- http://www.bignam.org/
- Phone
- +264 81 561 5191
- contact@bignam.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Number of recipients
- 1,000
- Funding type
- Nonprofit, Philanthropic, Research Pilot
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- NAD
- Total Amount
- 550 NAD (≈ $32.87)
- Avg. Per Month
- 10.78 NAD (≈ $0.64)
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 51 months
- Distribution Type
- Cash paid via individual savings/smart-card accounts with NamPost (Namibia's postal savings bank), disbursed monthly at community pay-out points
- Benefit details
Every resident registered as living in Otjivero-Omitara as of July 2007 and under age 60 received N$100 (~$12 USD at 2008 exchange rates) per person per month, unconditionally, for the two-year pilot (Jan 2008–Dec 2009). NamPost opened individual accounts/smart cards for each recipient to receive the grant. After the pilot concluded, a reduced monthly bridging allowance of N$80 (~$9-10 USD) was paid to former participants until March 2012, when it ended entirely with no permanent replacement.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Universal, unconditional eligibility for all residents of the Otjivero-Omitara settlement under age 60 who were registered as living there in July 2007, regardless of income, employment, or social status. No application process; the grant was automatically extended to everyone on the settlement registry meeting the age criterion. In-migrants who moved to the settlement after the registration date were not eligible, though their presence affected local dynamics.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 0
- Maximum age
- 59
Geography
- Countries covered
- Namibia
- Cities covered
- Otjivero, Omitara
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Participants were subject to ongoing research including a November 2007 baseline survey, panel surveys in July and November 2008, key-informant interviews, and individual case studies, conducted by researchers from the ELCRN Desk for Social Development and the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI), overseen by an international academic advisory panel.
Application Process
- How to apply
No application process — grant was automatically issued to every person under age 60 on the settlement's July 2007 residency registry; no opt-in or application was required.
- Selection process
Universal inclusion of all registered residents under 60 in the single pilot settlement (Otjivero-Omitara), selected as the pilot site by the BIG Coalition; no individual selection or screening of recipients occurred.
