Artificial intelligence, digital platforms and advanced connectivity are expected to reshape Namibia’s business environment, but entrepreneurs must have the skills and access required to benefit from the technologies, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) says.
CRAN Chief Executive Officer Emilia Nghikembua said emerging technologies could help startups, farmers and small businesses improve efficiency, reach new customers and expand into new markets.
“The future will be shaped by digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and advanced connectivity. But these tools will only transform lives if entrepreneurs can understand them, access them, trust them, and use them,” Nghikembua said.
She was speaking at CRAN’s second Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship Breakfast in Oshakati on Monday.
Nghikembua said Namibia’s digital transformation agenda should increasingly focus on how businesses can commercially use technology rather than connectivity being treated as an end in itself.
She said entrepreneurs should be able to use digital connectivity to receive payments, access platforms, protect their data and build trust with customers online.
“Connectivity alone is not enough. A connected entrepreneur must be able to reach customers, receive payments, access platforms, protect data, and build trust online. That is where digital transformation becomes economic transformation,” she said.
Nghikembua said digital technology could particularly support women and young people in agriculture by connecting them with buyers, financing, training, weather information and peer networks.
She said CRAN’s 2026–2030 Integrated Strategic Business Plan prioritises digital inclusion, cybersecurity and innovation, alongside operational excellence and sustainable regulation.
The priorities are aimed at strengthening the ICT sector’s role in supporting investment, entrepreneurship and economic competitiveness.
The Oshakati breakfast brought together entrepreneurs, innovators, government and business stakeholders to examine the application of digital technologies across sectors.
Discussions covered MTC’s digital transformation journey, startup and investment opportunities through the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, and experiences from businesses operating in construction, trading, food production and agriculture.
Nghikembua said partnerships between regulators, entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders would be critical to ensuring technological advances translate into tangible economic opportunities.
