Allexer Namundjembo
Over 700 households in Choto extensions 7 and 8 in Katima Mulilo will soon be connected to electricity as part of new electrification projects in the Zambezi Region.
Schools in Old Masokotwani, Kahunikwa, Nsundwa, Ikaba, and Malal Nkanga will also receive power.
Deputy prime minister and minister of industries, mines and energy, Natangue Ithete made the announcement on Wednesday during the commissioning of joint electrification projects in Kongola.
He said the government remains committed to achieving universal access to electricity by 2040.
“The benefits of electricity are clear. Schools need lights and computers, health facilities need power, and businesses require electricity for their machinery,” Ithete said.
“Development does not discriminate. When the light shines, it shines for everyone.”
According to the latest census, Zambezi has 37 296 households, but only 13 502 are connected to the national grid.
Nearly 24 000 households remain without access.
Ithete described this as a major challenge and called on regional councils, electricity distributors, local authorities, conservancies, and communities to work with the government to accelerate connections.
The projects in Kongola form part of a service level agreement between the ministry and Northern Regional Distributor (Nored), aimed at tripling the annual number of household connections in the region.
Priority will be given to high-density areas such as Bukalo, Kongola and Nampengu, where connecting multiple households at once is financially viable and strengthens the grid.
For remote villages where grid connections are not feasible, the government is investing in solar systems and mini-grids.
Ithete urged communities to embrace solar technology, pointing out that Namibia’s abundant sunlight makes renewable energy practical, sustainable, and cost-saving by reducing imports.
Similar projects have been rolled out in other regions, combining grid expansion in densely populated areas with solar and mini-grid solutions in remote communities.
Between 2020 and 2025, thousands of households and public institutions were connected in peri-urban and rural areas, including Hardap and informal settlements in Windhoek.
The Zambezi initiative builds on these efforts and aligns with the national goal to connect every household by 2040.
The target was revised from 2030 due to capacity and funding challenges but remains a key government priority.
