Electronic signatures are now legally recognised in Namibia, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), after electronic signature regulations became operational on 15 June 2026.
This means electronic signatures issued by service providers accredited by CRAN now enjoy legal recognition and protection under the Electronic Transactions Act and related regulations.
CRAN Chief Executive Officer Emilia Nghikembua has, however, warned individuals, businesses and institutions using electronic signatures to ensure that their service providers are properly accredited. Electronic signatures issued by non-accredited providers will not enjoy the legal recognition and protection provided under the framework.
“I would like to share that the regulations pertaining to electronic signatures were operationalised on 15 June this year. What this means is that electronic signatures are recognised as legal signatures in Namibia. There is, however, a proviso: the electronic signature must be issued by a service provider that has been accredited by CRAN. It is important to ensure that whoever is providing these services has been properly accredited by CRAN. If they are not accredited, then that electronic signature does not enjoy the legal recognition and legal protection contained in the regulations and the Electronic Transactions Act,” she said.
Nghikembua further explained that not every electronic representation of a handwritten signature qualifies as an electronic signature. For example, scanning a handwritten signature and attaching it to a Word document does not, by itself, constitute an electronic signature under the technical framework.
Certain documents are also excluded from electronic signing under current legislation. A final will and testament, for example, cannot currently be signed using an electronic signature and must still carry a handwritten signature.
The development forms part of CRAN’s expanding mandate, which has grown beyond its traditional role of regulating communications, issuing licences and managing radio spectrum.
In recent years, the authority has also taken responsibility for the Universal Service Fund, the cybersecurity incident response team and, under the Electronic Transactions Act, the role of Namibia’s Root Certification Authority.
Speaking at the launch of the National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Nghikembua said the National Root Certification Authority is the ultimate trust anchor of Namibia’s PKI and the sovereign source of trust for certificates issued within the national framework.
It provides mechanisms for establishing and authenticating digital identities, securing electronic signatures, protecting confidential information through encryption and ensuring the integrity and non-repudiation of digital transactions.
She explained that while physical identification documents can potentially be lost or misused, digital identification is designed to provide stronger authentication by securely linking individuals to their digital identities.
“We generate and protect the national root keys in certified hardware security modules. We sign certificates for accredited Certification Service Providers, as well as sector CAs, and we maintain the National Trust Hierarchy. These are essentially the types of services we provide and how we ensure that those services are safeguarded. Ultimately, our biggest message is that the National Root CA is the ultimate trust anchor of Namibia’s Public Key Infrastructure framework and the sovereign source of every certificate issued in the country,” she said.
Nghikembua said the infrastructure will provide the foundation for a wider range of digital government services. These could include electronic identification, e-licensing and permits, e-payments and e-procurement.
In the financial sector, potential applications include electronic banking, digital account opening, remote know-your-customer (KYC) processes and digitally signed transaction records.
Healthcare is another potential area of application, with the infrastructure capable of supporting electronic prescriptions and stronger patient authentication to help prevent identity-related fraud.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is expected to play a particularly important role in the digital identity ecosystem, with its legislative mandate giving it exclusive responsibility for issuing electronic IDs. CRAN, meanwhile, will provide the regulatory and trust framework within which the broader digital ecosystem operates.
Under its expanded mandate, CRAN will provide regulatory oversight, accredit certification service providers, conduct audits and monitor compliance with applicable standards.
It will also oversee policies and governance relating to the Root Certification Authority, including data protection, data governance, security and compliance.
The authority said the licensing process is deliberately rigorous because of the sensitive nature of the infrastructure. Accreditation will be followed by ongoing auditing and assurance to determine whether service providers continue to meet the required standards after obtaining their licences.
“This is why the licensing process itself is quite rigorous. It ensures that we know whom we are licensing and that they know what they are supposed to do because of the sensitive nature of the infrastructure. Together with licensing is auditing and assurance to ensure that, even if you have passed the test and obtained a licence, you continue to comply with the requirements you are supposed to follow once you begin implementation,” Nghikembua said.
CRAN said the Root Certification Authority is now technically operational following the completion of the key-signing process, allowing the accreditation process to proceed.
