The Ministry of Industrialisation and Mines and Energy (MIME) has allocated N$143 million to Namibia’s Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) under newly signed Service Level Agreements (SLAs), aimed at speeding up electricity connections across the country.
Executive Director Ben Nangombe said the City of Windhoek will receive N$30 million to continue its household electrification programme. This follows an allocation of N$15 million last year, which resulted in over 800 homes in peri-urban areas being connected to the grid.
CENORED has been allocated N$36 million, of which N$20 million is set aside for new household connections, while N$16 million will go towards upgrading the Tsumkwe and Gam Solar Hybrid Stations.
“Erongo RED has been allocated N$20 million, while NORED will also receive N$30 million. Oshakati Premier Electric (OPE) has joined the SLA programme for the first time with an allocation of N$7 million,” Nangombe said.
In southern Namibia, //AU-OB RED will receive N$12 million, which will be supplemented by financial and in-kind contributions from local authorities.
In addition to these allocations, MIME has signed a separate N$8 million agreement with the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) for the development of a solar mini-grid at Puros Village in the Kunene Region.
“Under the leadership of our President, Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Namibian Government has set a bold and necessary target. We must increase access to electricity nationally from 59.4% to 70% by the year 2030. That means connecting more than 200,000 additional households, many of them in rural and peri-urban communities,” Nangombe said.
He stressed that although the funding provided is significant, it is not sufficient to fully meet the national electrification targets. Nangombe called on all partners to contribute their own financial and technical resources to help accelerate progress.
“The figures in these agreements, while significant, are not enough. That is why we are asking each of our REDs and partners to go beyond the allocations. We have called you to bring your own resources, your own technical teams, your own donor networks, and your own procurement capacities,” he said.
Nangombe also noted that not all SLA partners were present at the signing ceremony, as some are still finalising internal processes. He confirmed that the Ministry intends to conclude the remaining agreements without delay and begin implementation immediately.
“This Ministry is not here to make announcements. We are here to deliver results. An SLA is not a cheque; it is a contract. And with that contract comes accountability,” he said.
