Broadband in Namibia: A Historical Perspective and the Path to Inclusive Connectivity

Internet connectivity has become as vital to daily life as electricity and water. From accessing education and healthcare to running businesses and staying connected, broadband internet’s role in development is undeniable. Yet in Namibia, like many countries in the Global South, this lifeline has not been universally accessible or affordable since its early days.

Reflecting on Namibia’s broadband story reveals a journey marked by steady progress but also persistent challenges. Understanding where we have been helps us chart how to take broadband to every corner of our nation, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital revolution.

Early Days: Laying the Foundations

Namibia embarked on its telecommunications journey in the early 1990s—shortly after gaining independence—with rudimentary, dial-up internet that served only a few urban centers. Internet infrastructure was sparse and slow, the cost was prohibitive, and the reach beyond Windhoek and a handful of towns was almost nonexistent.

This era was shaped by government and parastatal efforts to modernize Namibia’s telecoms. Key achievements included automating exchanges in towns and introducing digital lines, fiber optic cables, and packet-switched networks. These upgrades began the slow move from analog to digital, from limited phone lines to the promise of genuine internet access.

Notably, the government recognized broadband's transformative potential early on and later adopted a National Broadband Policy to provide strategic direction. This policy aims to weave broadband into the fabric of economic growth, education, and digital inclusion.

The Contemporary Landscape: Progress with Uneven Reach

Today, Namibia has witnessed significant improvements. Telecom Namibia and private players have rolled out fiber optic cables linking major towns and expanding to suburban areas. Mobile broadband networks such as 4G cover a vast majority of the population, and initial 5G deployments signal future potential.

Despite these advances, broadband quality and coverage remain uneven. Urban and peri-urban areas enjoy relatively stable connections, but many rural and remote communities still suffer poor or no access. Namibia’s average broadband speed hovers at around 13 Mbps, a speed far below more developed nations and even some regional neighbors.

Affordability is another serious barrier. High costs for data and internet-enabled devices exclude many Namibians from meaningful online participation. The high cost of doing business online further slows economic diversification and innovation.

According to recent data, approximately 53% of Namibians have internet access, while mobile network coverage is broad but many subscriptions are prepaid and limited by data affordability. In many households, devices remain scarce or shared, limiting connectivity’s full educational and social benefits.

The Digital Divide: Challenges and Consequences

Namibia’s rapid progress masks an underlying digital divide. This divide is about much more than bits and speeds; it reflects unequal opportunity, widening social disparities, and regional imbalances.

Children in well-connected urban homes can access digital classrooms and online resources, while rural youth may rely on limited public computer centers or none at all. Entrepreneurs in cities can reach global markets; rural farmers struggle to find weather updates or market price information online.

Cost barriers mean many Namibians cannot participate in the digital economy or utilize online government services. Women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups often face even greater hurdles.

The digital divide undermines national goals for inclusive growth and social cohesion. Without targeted action, broadband could deepen inequality rather than close it.

What Must Be Done: A Call for Equitable Connectivity

To build a Namibia where everyone can benefit from broadband, concerted efforts are needed across multiple fronts:

• Accelerate Infrastructure Expansion: The government and private sector must increase investments to extend fiber networks and mobile broadband deep into rural and underserved areas. Technologies such as fixed wireless access and satellite internet can complement fiber in hard-to-reach locales.

• Make Connectivity Affordable: Reducing costs for broadband data and devices is vital. This can be achieved through subsidized tariffs, tax incentives for internet-capable devices, and public-private partnerships to share infrastructure costs and broaden market competition.

• Boost Digital Literacy: Connectivity without the skills to use it effectively is limited. Comprehensive digital skills training, especially aimed at vulnerable groups and rural users, will ensure broadband translates into real opportunity.

• Expand Public Access Points: Community internet hubs, telecenters, and libraries should be supported to provide free or low-cost internet access for those who cannot afford home connections.

• Inclusive Policy and Regulation: The government must maintain a policy environment that encourages fair competition, protects user rights, and promotes universal service obligations among operators.

• Collaboration for Innovation: Partnerships between government, civil society, and the private sector can foster innovative solutions tailored to Namibia’s unique geography and social context.

Looking Ahead

Namibia’s broadband story is one of transformation from scarce dial-up connectivity to the cusp of widespread fiber and mobile 5G. Yet, the promise of an inclusive digital future remains unfulfilled unless the digital divide is addressed head-on.

Broadband is not a luxury — it is a necessity for social and economic inclusion. Ensuring affordable, quality access to reliable internet and devices nationwide will empower Namibians to pursue education, create businesses, access health services, and participate fully in civic life.

With thoughtful policies, sustained investment, and community-focused action, Namibia can move beyond digital disparities. The road ahead is clear: broadband must become a shared resource for all Namibians, closing gaps and opening doors to opportunity in every corner of the country.

Old Debts, New Tricks: What Every Namibian Should Know About Prescription, Debt Collections & Your Rights

Debt collectors are still sending SMSs and letters demanding payments for accounts from years ago, often threatening blacklisting or service cut-offs. Many consumers panic and pay small amounts just to “make a plan.” But in Namibia, not all debts can be enforced forever — and making a payment can revive a prescribed (i.e. expired) debt.

Here’s how the law works (as of 2025), what has changed, and how you can defend yourself.

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1. The Legal Basis: Prescription of Debt in Namibia

The Prescription Act 68 of 1969

• In Namibia, the Prescription Act 68 of 1969 governs how debts become “extinct” (i.e. unenforceable) after a certain period.  

• Section 10 of the Act provides that debts are extinguished by prescription if not claimed within the prescribed time.  

• The usual three-year period applies for most debts arising from a contract or a typical consumer obligation.  

• Some other kinds of debts (e.g. secured debts or judgments) may carry longer prescription periods (e.g. 30 years) under certain circumstances.  

When Prescription Starts & What Can Interrupt It

• Prescription begins to run from the date the debt becomes due (or from the last date when the debtor was aware).  

• If the debtor acknowledges liability (e.g. by paying, or promising to pay), or if a judicial process (like a summons) is served, prescription is interrupted, and the period starts afresh.  

• However, merely sending a demand letter or SMS (without court authority) is not always sufficient to interrupt prescription. The process must satisfy legal requirements.  

• Courts in Namibia have entertained “special plea of prescription” motions — i.e. defendants ask that a court dismiss the claim on the basis that the debt has prescribed.  

Judicial Precedents

• The High Court in Windhoek has in multiple cases upheld that a plaintiff’s claim was prescribed under section 11(d) of the Prescription Act.  

• Also, courts have warned that a creditor must properly serve process to interrupt prescription, and failure to do so can cause lapse of the cause of action.  

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2. The Current Legal Environment & Gaps

Weak Regulation of Debt Collectors

• Namibia currently lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework specifically for debt collection or “debt-management firms.” Many consumers fall prey to unregistered or unscrupulous firms.  

• However, a recent draft Consumer Credit Bill under NAMFISA (the financial regulatory body) is expected to incorporate regulation of debt collectors.  

Consumer Protection in Policy, but Not Yet Full Law

• Namibia has adopted a National Consumer Protection Policy (2020), which aims to guide the development of consumer protection laws and regulate unfair consumer practices.  

• But as of now, there is no single strong Consumer Protection Act that specifically limits abusive collection behavior, unlike in some other jurisdictions.

• This means many protections depend on general legal principles (e.g. contract law, common law, constitutional rights) and on raising defences like prescription in court.

Credit Bureaus & Data Sharing

• Under existing statutes, credit bureaus are regulated, and rules exist regarding what information they may collect or share.  

• Importantly, a person may not be registered as a credit bureau if they also operate as a credit provider or debt collection agency — a measure to avoid conflict of interest.  

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3. What Happens When a Debt Collector Contacts You

When you receive any demand — SMS, phone call, letter — here is what to do, step by step:

Step A: Demand Proof

• Ask them to prove the debt:

   • What is the original creditor?

   • What is the date of the debt (when it became due)?

   • Attach statements showing last payment or lack thereof.

• If they cannot show you solid proof, you can refuse to engage further.

Step B: Check Prescription

• Examine whether three years or more have passed since the debt became due, and since any last payment or acknowledgement.

• If the debt is older than three years, and there is no valid interruption, the debt is likely prescribed and cannot be legally enforced.

Step C: Lodge a Registered Letter / Special Plea

• You should send a registered (or certified) letter to the creditor or collection agency, stating that you consider the debt prescribed under the Prescription Act, and formally refusing further payments.

• If they go to court, you (through your lawyer or in person if allowed) should raise a “special plea of prescription”— a legal defence asking the court to dismiss their claim because it is time-barred.

• You bear the burden of showing the timeline (dates of last payment, acknowledgment, etc.).

Step D: Do not make any payments

• Never pay even N$1 if you believe the debt is prescribed — any partial payment can restart or revive the debt.

• Do not agree to “payment plans” or “minimum payments” until you have confirmed the validity and non-prescription of the claim.

Step E: Monitor Legal Proceedings

• If a summons or court documents arrive, do not ignore them — respond in court, stating your defence of prescription.

• In your court filings, include detailed timeline evidence to show the debt is time-barred.

Step F: Report Misconduct (if applicable)

• If a debt collector is using threats, intimidation, or false claims (e.g. “we will blacklist you tomorrow”), document this (screenshots, recordings, dates).

• You may file a complaint either with Namfisa (once debt collectors fall under its purview) or the Ministry of Industrialisation & Trade / consumer protection office, referencing unfair practices.

Telemarketing in Namibia: When “No” Should Mean “No”

“Our privacy and freedom of choice should matter too!” a frustrated consumer recently wrote to me. “Why are these companies allowed to flood our phones with adverts we never asked for?”

That question hits right at the heart of a growing problem in Namibia — unsolicited marketing messages that arrive without our consent and without any easy way to say stop.

Let’s be clear: under the Electronic Transactions Act of 2019, companies are already supposed to include an opt-out in every promotional SMS or email. They must also disclose who they are and where they got your details. In other words, consent matters — at least on paper.

The trouble is that enforcement is weak. Many consumers don’t even know these rights exist, and the law focuses mainly on electronic messages like SMS and emails, not voice calls. So when that “exclusive offer” call interrupts your lunch, it’s not entirely clear if anyone has broken the law.

The long-awaited Data Protection Bill — which government says will soon go before Parliament — promises stronger safeguards. It could finally spell out our right to say no to unwanted marketing, hold companies accountable, and ensure Namibians have true control over their personal information.

Until then, we remain caught in a grey zone where companies can market first and ask for forgiveness later. It shouldn’t be this way. Consumers deserve the simple right to choose whether to receive marketing messages — not to be bombarded without consent.

Privacy isn’t a luxury. It’s a right. And it’s time our laws — and regulators — treated it that way.