Demshi Investment Holdings (Demshi) has announced a N$220 million investment for the second phase of its fibre network expansion in Namibia, with completion set for June 2025.
Demshi Managing Director Werner Shilunga told The Brief that the expansion will cover 10 towns, further extending the company’s footprint.
“The second-phase rollout will bring Demshi’s total number of home passes to 50,000, with completion anticipated in less than two years. The project is part of the company’s broader regional expansion, which includes plans to venture into neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries before moving into East Africa,” Shilunga said.
Shilunga, however, noted that delays in municipal approvals for wayleave applications have affected the rollout schedule, impacting job creation opportunities for young Namibians.
“Municipalities and town councils take forever to approve wayleave applications, which delays our rollout of the fibre network at no cost to them. This prolongs the unemployment crisis in many towns,” he said.
Currently, Demshi’s fibre network covers 15,000 home passes in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, and Windhoek, excluding Rehoboth. In February 2025, the company began deploying fibre in Rehoboth under an Open Access model, allowing all licensed internet service providers (ISPs) to utilise the network.
“We are excited to begin deploying fibre in Rehoboth. Just like in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, and Windhoek, our fibre in Rehoboth will operate on an Open Access model, providing all licensed ISPs the opportunity to offer services. Our Point of Presence in Rehoboth is at Dr Lemmer High School, with a second one at the Nampower substation, which is critical for ISP capacity transmission,” Shilunga said.
The Rehoboth Open Access Fibre network is expected to cover the entire town with approximately 3,500 home passes.
According to Shilunga, Demshi has already completed an 18 km feeder cable forming a redundancy ring around the town to ensure uninterrupted service in case of network issues.
Demshi has partnered with Paratus, the anchor ISP in Rehoboth, to enhance internet access in the town. Upon completion of the Rehoboth rollout, Demshi’s total home passes across the four towns will increase to 18,500.
“Demshi is steadily growing its fibre network, connecting between 120 to 150 homes per month, with the majority of home connections in Swakopmund. Our target growth by the end of the year is 15%, and we are confident that we will reach it,” Shilunga said.
