Demand for traditional postal services continued to weaken in the second quarter of 2026, with occupied postboxes declining by 22% and occupied private bags falling by 29%, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).
CRAN’s Quarterly Statistics Bulletin for April to June 2026 shows that occupied postboxes fell from 58,950 in the first quarter to 46,116 in the second quarter, reducing the occupancy rate from 48% to 37%.
“The decline across both services points to continued weakening demand for traditional postal services,” CRAN said.
Occupied private bags declined from 310 to 220 over the same period, resulting in the occupancy rate falling from 35% to 25%.
The total number of postboxes remained unchanged at 123,910, while the number of private bags stood at 883.
Despite declining use of traditional postal services, postal operating revenue remained unchanged at N$30.5 million in the second quarter.
Revenue was up from N$20.7 million in the second quarter of 2025. It increased to N$24.9 million in the third quarter and N$28.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, before reaching N$30.5 million in the first quarter of 2026.
“Postal operating revenue remained stable in Q2 2026, despite a decline in the use of traditional postal services. The stability in revenue, alongside the decline in occupied postboxes and private bags, suggests that the reduction in traditional postal activity has not yet translated into a similar decline in overall postal revenue,” CRAN said.
Meanwhile, the number of postal establishments remained unchanged at 148 during the quarter, of which 125 were located in rural areas.
Rural post offices accounted for about 84% of Namibia’s total postal establishments.
