Niël Terblanché
A delegation from the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has embarked on a five-day benchmarking mission to Botswana to accelerate the digital transformation of Namibia’s water supply systems.
Hosted by Botswana’s Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), the visit focused on knowledge exchange around smart prepaid metering technologies and customer service systems.
NamWater CEO Abraham Nehemia is leading the delegation, which includes executive committee members and technical experts.
The team was welcomed at WUC’s Mmamashia Treatment Works, where a structured programme of technical sessions, site visits and strategic discussions was launched.
“We are here to learn from WUC’s experience and see how we can adapt some of these lessons to our own context in Namibia,” Nehemia said during the opening session.
The first day introduced the operational frameworks behind WUC’s smart metering system.
WUC acting CEO Teddy Ditsabatho highlighted the importance of regional collaboration to strengthen water governance.
Presentations included an overview of WUC’s Smart Prepaid Solution Project, integration with SAP systems such as ISU (Industry-Specific Utilities), CRM, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
The Namibian team also visited WUC’s Smart Prepaid Water Meter Operations Centre, where live data, billing, and customer support are managed in real time.
On the second day, the delegation engaged with WUC engineers and field staff to understand the practical implementation of smart technologies.
They reviewed tools used for operational management and revenue tracking, including the full Meter-to-Cash lifecycle, from data collection to financial reporting. A visit to installation sites allowed the team to observe the systems in action.
Nehemia said the timing of the visit aligns with NamWater’s ongoing Smart Water Metering Rollout Project along the BUNW and Olweege-Okashandja branch lines.
Insights gained in Botswana will help shape the scaling of this initiative in Namibia.
“This visit is not just about technology; it’s about adapting systems that improve customer experience and operational efficiency. We are gaining practical insight into what works in the region,” he said.
Nehemia confirmed that NamWater and WUC have committed to ongoing collaboration beyond the visit.
Both utilities view the partnership as a step toward creating a regional framework that supports transparent, efficient, and customer-focused water service delivery in southern Africa.
