Namibia has been ranked among Africa’s strongest performers in digital development, scoring 83.5 in the Meaningful Connectivity pillar of the ICT Development Index (IDI) 2025, released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The country’s strong performance places it above both the regional and income group averages, driven by improvements in mobile and broadband coverage, internet infrastructure, and more affordable data services.
“We are therefore pleased with this increase as it is well aligned with some of our strategic initiatives and policy oversight from the Minister of Information & Communications Technology (MICT) as implemented during the reporting period,†said Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) CEO Emilia Nghikembua.
Namibia also scored 63.0% in the Universal Connectivity pillar, which, combined with its Meaningful Connectivity score, resulted in an overall IDI of 73.2% — a 6% improvement from the 68% recorded in 2023.
Nghikembua noted that Namibia outperformed several countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including Malawi (35.4%), Zimbabwe (56.8%), Zambia (60.3%) and Mozambique (32.4%). Only Botswana (82.1%), South Africa (85.0%) and Mauritius (86.3%) ranked higher in the region. Namibia also surpassed several larger economies such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana in overall ICT development.
“We rededicate our efforts to prioritise internet use and adoption to strengthen our universal connectivity pillar. Our strategic intent will also focus on access, mobile broadband penetration and affordability through ongoing network expansion and discontinuation of legacy technologies in favour of new emerging technologies capable of providing meaningful connectivity,†she said.
However, the ITU report cautioned that access alone does not guarantee use.
In Namibia, despite improved infrastructure, a significant portion of the population remains offline due to barriers such as digital literacy, affordability for low-income groups, and regional disparities in access.
The report urges policymakers to focus on narrowing the usage gap by investing in digital skills development, expanding affordable service options, and targeting underserved communities to ensure that all Namibians can benefit from the digital economy.
