The government has committed N$80 million over the next two financial years to improve Namibia’s digital laws, expand broadband coverage, and build safer networks.
Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus said the investment was aimed at modernising the country’s payment systems while ensuring that they are meaningful and beneficial to all citizens, including vulnerable groups.
“As a Ministry of ICT, we commit that the government will continue to lay the foundations: faster broadband, wider coverage through our Universal Service Fund, where we are rolling out infrastructure across the country. We have already committed N$80 million in these two financial years to ensure stronger laws and safer networks, and to make sure that this change is secure,” she said.
Theofelus confirmed that the National Broadband Policy is under review to accelerate digital inclusion and strengthen payment systems.
She said the ministry intends to raise the minimum broadband download speed from 2 Mbps to 25 Mbps, with upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps, in line with international standards.
“Telecom operators have already begun implementing the new benchmarks,” she said.
The Minister identified four priorities for building inclusive digital payments: “designing for accessibility and affordability, ensuring interoperability among providers, building trust through security and user education, and implementing supportive regulatory frameworks.”
She stressed that payment systems should drive wider development goals.
“Our payment systems will not only be modern; they will be meaningful, contributing to the shared prosperity we so strongly advocate. They will carry prosperity across every corner of our nation—instantly, securely, and inclusively, across rural, peri-urban, and urban settings,” she said.
Theophilus said consumer protection and cybersecurity remain central to the strategy.
She pointed to the National Cybersecurity Strategy (2022–2027), upcoming cybercrime legislation, and the Electronic Transactions Act of 2019, which provides legal recognition for e-signatures and digital contracts, as key instruments to safeguard digital transactions
