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| Kastyle NdongaBoy |
Namibian artist Kastyle Ndonga Boy has criticised the International University of Management (IUM) over an alleged offer of N$480 to artists approached to perform at the institution.
The artist said the amount was far below what musicians should be expected to accept, particularly from a major higher education institution.
According to Ndonga Boy, IUM had reached out to artists seeking performances at the offered fee. He questioned why an institution of IUM’s size would propose what he described as an inadequate payment.
“IUM Windhoek decided to call artists to go perform for N$480. You love money too much,” he said.
He argued that artists invest significant amounts of money in producing music and preparing for performances, making N$480 insufficient to cover even basic production expenses.
“That N$480 can’t even record one song,” Ndonga Boy said.
The artist added that IUM management should have a better understanding of the financial realities faced by musicians. He also rejected any suggestion that his criticism was driven by arrogance, saying he was comfortable demanding fair compensation for his work.
“If people say I’m proud, let me be. I have to be proud of myself,” he said.
Ndonga Boy further compared the alleged IUM offer with payments musicians can receive from entertainment venues. He said some bars pay artists around N$3,500 for performances, which he believes makes the N$480 offer particularly difficult to justify for a large institution.
“Even when we perform at the bar, they don’t pay us N$480. Some bars pay around N$3,500. Why is a big institution like IUM paying people pennies?” he questioned.
He also praised the Ohangwena Region, describing it as one of the most supportive regions for artists in Namibia.
Ndonga Boy's comments have highlighted broader concerns about how local artists are valued and compensated for live performances, particularly when approached by established organisations and institutions.
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