Chamwe Kaira
The drafting of the Cybercrime Bill has been completed and the legislation is expected to be submitted to Parliament this month.
The bill was prepared after consultations with key stakeholders and will undergo a validation workshop before submission.
This information was revealed in the estimates of revenue, income and expenditure released by the Ministry of Finance as part of the 2026/27 national budget.
The document also states that the Data Protection Bill has already been approved by the cabinet committee on legislation.
The bill has been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations for further review.
The budget report also highlights developments in Namibia’s information and communication technology sector.
Between 2021 and 2023, the number of operators and licensees in the sector remained stable. However, the number of active users declined.
Mobile subscribers dropped from about 2.9 million to 2.1 million during the period.
Internet users declined from 2.05 million to 1.72 million.
Mobile penetration also decreased from 87.59 subscribers per 100 people to 71.35.
Internet penetration declined from 78.97% to 66%.
Fixed-line teledensity also fell during the same period. The report states that the decline may reflect service reclassification and changes in how consumers use communication services.
Namibia also launched the national information and communication technology policy on 29 January 2026.
The policy forms part of the country’s long-term strategy to develop the ICT sector.
A review of the national broadband framework is also underway.
Consultations with industry stakeholders have already been completed as part of the review.
The report also shows differences in network coverage across regions.
Nationwide 4G population coverage stands at 88.4%.
Urban regions show higher connectivity levels.
Khomas region recorded 98% coverage, Oshana region 99%, and Omusati region 96%.
Coverage remains lower in some rural areas.
Kunene region recorded 49% coverage, Omaheke region 64%, and Kavango West region 70%.
The difference between the highest and lowest coverage areas stands at about 50 percentage points.
The report states that the gap highlights the need for more investment in digital infrastructure in rural areas.
Cybersecurity also remains a national priority.
According to the International Telecommunication Union Global Cybersecurity Index for 2024, Namibia is classified in Tier 4, described as evolving.
Namibia scored 36.93 out of 100.
“The result indicates that while the country has established foundational cybersecurity systems, there is still a significant capacity gap that requires continued institutional strengthening and investment in cyber resilience,” the document noted.
