Namibia’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector recorded steady growth in the first quarter of 2025, with total data revenue reaching N$831 million, according to the latest report by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).
Voice revenue held steady at N$162 million, while SMS revenue dropped to N$35 million, reflecting a 14% decline as traditional messaging continues to fall out of favour.
The report, which covers the period from January to March 2025, highlights trends across telecommunications, cybersecurity, broadcasting, and postal services.
CRAN noted that social media platforms accounted for a significant share of mobile data consumption.
Of MTC’s total data usage, 71% , equivalent to 29 million gigabytes, was used on social media.
“Facebook topped the list of most used Over-the-Top (OTT) services, followed by WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. The figures reflect a clear shift toward data-heavy, media-rich apps over traditional communication tools,” CRAN stated.
The report also showed a slight decline in mobile internet usage.
While the total number of active SIM cards remained stable, the proportion used for internet access fell from 60% to 58%, mainly due to a 2% drop in mobile broadband usage via mobile phones.
“The total number of active SIM cards remained relatively stable. However, the proportion of SIM cards used for internet access declined from 60% to 58%, primarily due to a 2% decrease in mobile broadband usage via mobile phones,” said Mufaro Nesongano, Executive: Communication and Consumer Relations at CRAN.
In contrast, mobile broadband use through dongles and routers increased by 12%, recovering from previous declines.
Fixed internet subscriptions rose by 3%, supported by a 10% increase in fibre-to-the-premises connections as providers expanded their networks.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriptions also climbed by 9%, likely linked to greater fibre uptake.
Nesongano said mobile outgoing call volumes dropped sharply by 25%, mainly driven by a 27% fall in MTC’s on-net traffic.
SMS volumes fell slightly by 2%, while mobile data usage grew by 6%, pointing to consumers’ continued shift towards data-driven communication.
“Mobile outgoing call volumes declined sharply by 25%, largely driven by a 27% reduction in MTC’s on-net traffic. SMS volumes decreased slightly by 2%, while mobile data usage increased by 6%, reflecting consumers’ growing preference for data-based communication services over traditional voice and text messaging,” he said.
Overall, ICT sector revenue grew by 6% in the first quarter of 2025, maintaining the same pace as the previous quarter.
The telecoms industry invested N$305 million in software and network infrastructure during the period, more than double the investment recorded previously. This was driven by renewed spending from MTC and new infrastructure developments by Loc8 Mobile.
In cybersecurity, reported system vulnerabilities dropped by 16% to 541,000, but cyber threat events rose sharply from 62,000 to 260,000.
Nesongano said most vulnerabilities were linked to the open CPE WAN Management Protocol (CWMP), which raised concerns about insecure access to network management systems.
In broadcasting, pay-TV subscriptions rose by 10%, with Go TV identified as a major contributor to the growth. However, advertising revenue in the sector fell by 20%, indicating continued instability.
The postal sector saw a rebound, with postbox usage increasing by 43% and private bag subscriptions rising by 51%. Despite the growth of digital communication, CRAN said demand for physical mail services remains steady.
