Namibia has been ranked third in Africa for digital rights and inclusion, according to the 2025 Londa Report published by Paradigm Initiative.
The country scored 42 out of 60 on TheScore Index, placing it behind only South Africa (47) and Ghana (43), and marking a three-point improvement from its 2024 score of 39.
The report, which assesses 29 African countries across 12 key indicators, commended Namibia for expanding connectivity and digital infrastructure.
However, it warned that the country’s progress is being undermined by critical governance and legal gaps, including the absence of comprehensive data protection and child online safety legislation.
“As a moderately compliant country with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Declaration, Namibia has made steps to ensure digital inclusion and combat cyber threats. However, without comprehensive digital rights laws, the country still has a lot to do to protect its citizens’ online rights,” the report said.
Namibia’s improved ranking was largely driven by the launch of the Universal Service Fund (USF) in March 2025. Government committed N$145 million (US$7.25 million) over three years to bridge the rural digital divide.
By November 2025, the first phase of the USF rollout had extended 4G connectivity to remote communities for the first time, focusing on underserved regions including Kavango West, Kavango East, Kunene, Oshikoto and Ohangwena.
Private sector investment also contributed significantly to the country’s digital transformation.
In September 2025, Paratus Group launched Namibia’s first privately owned mobile network through a N$600 million (US$37.7 million) investment, challenging the longstanding dominance of MTC and Telecom Namibia.
“A landmark development reshaping Namibia’s telecommunications landscape was Paratus Group’s launch of the country’s first privately owned mobile network in September 2025. Backed by a N$600 million (US$37.7 million) investment and built entirely on 4G LTE technology with 5G readiness, the network covered 50 major towns and 80 communities, focusing on the east-west and Windhoek-Oshakati routes,” the report said.
Other developments highlighted in the report included the establishment of the Namibia Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NAM-CSIRT) with N$20 million (US$1.25 million) in funding, as well as the launch of Namibia’s first Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report in August 2025 to guide the development of a national AI strategy.
Despite these achievements, the report identified several shortcomings preventing Namibia from attaining “considerably compliant” status.
According to the report, Namibia has yet to adopt comprehensive data protection legislation, leaving citizens without clear legal remedies in cases involving privacy violations or data breaches.
“The State has not adopted laws for the protection of personal information of individuals in accordance with international human rights law and standards, and individuals have no legal recourse to effective remedies,” the report said.
The report also raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the use of biometric data collected through SIM card registration and other government programmes.
It noted that while Namibia’s Communications Act permits telecommunications interception, it remains unclear whether such practices consistently comply with international human rights standards.
In addition, Namibia has no dedicated child online protection policy, although a Child Online Protection Task Force has been established to oversee serious cases involving children online.
“While the country has a Child Online Protection Task Force, Namibia has no child online protection policy,” the report noted.
To improve its compliance ranking, the report recommends that Namibia enact comprehensive data protection legislation with strong oversight mechanisms, adopt specific laws and policies aimed at protecting children online, and develop a national artificial intelligence strategy addressing the design, deployment and governance of AI technologies.
The report also recommends that the Universal Service Fund explicitly targets previously marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities, children and indigenous women, while requiring internet intermediaries to incorporate human rights safeguards into content moderation processes.
The Londa 2025 Report is produced annually by Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African digital rights organisation based in Lagos, Nigeria. It assesses country compliance with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa.
