Energy poverty: An invisible emergency
OPINION
The Swapo Party Implementation Plan (SMIP) 2025–2030 sets out an ambitious vision: an economically transformed Namibia with thriving rural economies, empowered youth, universal healthcare and education and equitable housing access.
At face value, it is a plan teeming with promise, spanning agriculture, youth employment, sports, creative industries, housing and social welfare, with a projected required investment of over N$85 billion and the creation of 250 000 jobs.
There is little debate about the plan’s ambition and much more debate about how these ambitions will be achieved. It is a blueprint that promises dignity, jobs and prosperity for all Namibians. The major question remains: How?
Beneath the optimism lies a structural reality that cannot be ignored: Namibia’s persistent electricity deficit remains the single most critical threat to the success of this plan.
No matter how well-funded, well-intentioned or politically endorsed the SMIP may be, its goals are fundamentally unattainable without universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
Electricity is not merely a supportive element; it is a foundational prerequisite for realising national goals.
Modern agriculture depends on irrigation systems powered by electricity; manufacturing requires consistent power; digital infrastructure underpins creative industries; and innovations in digital health are unattainable without a stable energy supply.
Without electricity, small businesses struggle to scale and educational opportunities diminish after sunset.
Namibia's aspiration to become a net exporter of electricity rings hollow while a significant portion of its population remains without power.
Energy is listed as one of several “critical enablers”, but there is no flagship delivery programme embedded within the plan to address the electricity gap head-on.
Structural issue
Namibia imported approximately 70% of its electricity as of 2024.
Over 400 000 households remain without electricity, relying on firewood for cooking, which contributes to deforestation, and using candles for lighting, hindering children's ability to study and limiting business operations like spaza shops from scaling.
This energy poverty is not a peripheral issue; it is a structural bottleneck that hampers national growth, undermines youth employment and exacerbates the urban-rural divide, contributing to urbanisation pressures.
The unemployment crisis is often framed as an economic or educational challenge.
However, without energy to power factories, incubators, clinics and information systems, employment opportunities cannot be sustained or created.
The SMIP promises to fund 6 000 youth businesses and 20 000 micro-enterprises. But how will these enterprises operate in areas without electricity?
How will young entrepreneurs in regions like Omaheke or Zambezi run refrigeration units, computers or sewing machines without a stable power supply?
Consider a mother in Onimeyiindele who cannot refrigerate food, forcing her to cook daily over an open flame, inhaling toxic smoke.
This scenario is even more challenging in peri-urban informal settlements such as Twaloloka, Havana, Kivukiland, DRC and Wagdaar.
Think of a young graduate with a technical diploma in electricity but no factory to employ her because high energy costs render local manufacturing uncompetitive.
These are not just economic challenges; they are invincible injustices.
Mission 300
In this context, Mission 300 must be accelerated, not as an afterthought, but as a flagship national priority, housed within the Office of the President, akin to the much-anticipated oil and gas initiatives.
Spearheaded by the African Development Bank and the World Bank, Mission 300 is an electrification initiative designed to connect at least 300 000 households to electricity by 2030.
It represents Namibia’s best and possibly last opportunity to achieve universal energy access in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7 by 2030.
More importantly, it is the only initiative currently on the table that offers a scalable, inclusive, and job-creating solution to Namibia’s energy crisis, in the Namibian context, by Namibians for Namibians.
Mission 300 advocates for dignified livelihoods.
This aligns with the SMIP’s emphasis on regional development, youth employment and infrastructure rollout.
Imagine building multiple soccer stadiums without electricity. How competitive can our athletes be?
Yet, while the SMIP identifies energy as a “critical economic enabler”, it does not prioritise it accordingly.
The absence of an aggressive national electrification drive within the SMIP is a glaring omission that must be addressed.
For a nation of just over three million people, the cost of electricity profoundly impacts quality of life.
It influences food affordability, business viability, access to affordable healthcare, agricultural productivity, educational outcomes and ultimately, job creation prospects.
Mission 300 offers a compelling alternative, arguing that channelling N$283 million in subsidies to mitigate tariff increases is unsustainable and ultimately burdens citizens further.
Instead, it advocates for exploring a sustainable and affordable pathway to fundamentally address the energy challenge with all the stakeholders involved, from the private sector to the public sector and the end users.
Bridge the divide
The SMIP is backed by PPP arrangements.
This vision transcends the limitations of the current, and arguably inadequate. The Public-Private Partnership Act is overly bureaucratic and lacks the robustness needed to accelerate development and industrialisation.
While Mission 300 intends to do things differently, this initiative will require political commitment to ensure successful delivery of the mission.
Namibia is poised for transformation. But transformation demands more than plans; it demands power. Without electricity, the SMIP risks becoming a paper plan.
With it, and with Mission 300 leading the charge, the country can truly deliver on the promise of inclusive development.
Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions, prominently featured in the country’s narrative, will ring hollow if its own citizens remain energy-poor.
The government cannot, and indeed should not, bear the immense responsibility of universal electricity delivery by itself.
The private sector must be empowered to become a central catalyst in achieving the government’s objectives.
Government, together with Mission 300, can empower the private sector to innovate, meeting the government halfway.
*Helena Tashiya Walenga is an energy enthusiast and developer.
At face value, it is a plan teeming with promise, spanning agriculture, youth employment, sports, creative industries, housing and social welfare, with a projected required investment of over N$85 billion and the creation of 250 000 jobs.
There is little debate about the plan’s ambition and much more debate about how these ambitions will be achieved. It is a blueprint that promises dignity, jobs and prosperity for all Namibians. The major question remains: How?
Beneath the optimism lies a structural reality that cannot be ignored: Namibia’s persistent electricity deficit remains the single most critical threat to the success of this plan.
No matter how well-funded, well-intentioned or politically endorsed the SMIP may be, its goals are fundamentally unattainable without universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
Electricity is not merely a supportive element; it is a foundational prerequisite for realising national goals.
Modern agriculture depends on irrigation systems powered by electricity; manufacturing requires consistent power; digital infrastructure underpins creative industries; and innovations in digital health are unattainable without a stable energy supply.
Without electricity, small businesses struggle to scale and educational opportunities diminish after sunset.
Namibia's aspiration to become a net exporter of electricity rings hollow while a significant portion of its population remains without power.
Energy is listed as one of several “critical enablers”, but there is no flagship delivery programme embedded within the plan to address the electricity gap head-on.
Structural issue
Namibia imported approximately 70% of its electricity as of 2024.
Over 400 000 households remain without electricity, relying on firewood for cooking, which contributes to deforestation, and using candles for lighting, hindering children's ability to study and limiting business operations like spaza shops from scaling.
This energy poverty is not a peripheral issue; it is a structural bottleneck that hampers national growth, undermines youth employment and exacerbates the urban-rural divide, contributing to urbanisation pressures.
The unemployment crisis is often framed as an economic or educational challenge.
However, without energy to power factories, incubators, clinics and information systems, employment opportunities cannot be sustained or created.
The SMIP promises to fund 6 000 youth businesses and 20 000 micro-enterprises. But how will these enterprises operate in areas without electricity?
How will young entrepreneurs in regions like Omaheke or Zambezi run refrigeration units, computers or sewing machines without a stable power supply?
Consider a mother in Onimeyiindele who cannot refrigerate food, forcing her to cook daily over an open flame, inhaling toxic smoke.
This scenario is even more challenging in peri-urban informal settlements such as Twaloloka, Havana, Kivukiland, DRC and Wagdaar.
Think of a young graduate with a technical diploma in electricity but no factory to employ her because high energy costs render local manufacturing uncompetitive.
These are not just economic challenges; they are invincible injustices.
Mission 300
In this context, Mission 300 must be accelerated, not as an afterthought, but as a flagship national priority, housed within the Office of the President, akin to the much-anticipated oil and gas initiatives.
Spearheaded by the African Development Bank and the World Bank, Mission 300 is an electrification initiative designed to connect at least 300 000 households to electricity by 2030.
It represents Namibia’s best and possibly last opportunity to achieve universal energy access in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7 by 2030.
More importantly, it is the only initiative currently on the table that offers a scalable, inclusive, and job-creating solution to Namibia’s energy crisis, in the Namibian context, by Namibians for Namibians.
Mission 300 advocates for dignified livelihoods.
This aligns with the SMIP’s emphasis on regional development, youth employment and infrastructure rollout.
Imagine building multiple soccer stadiums without electricity. How competitive can our athletes be?
Yet, while the SMIP identifies energy as a “critical economic enabler”, it does not prioritise it accordingly.
The absence of an aggressive national electrification drive within the SMIP is a glaring omission that must be addressed.
For a nation of just over three million people, the cost of electricity profoundly impacts quality of life.
It influences food affordability, business viability, access to affordable healthcare, agricultural productivity, educational outcomes and ultimately, job creation prospects.
Mission 300 offers a compelling alternative, arguing that channelling N$283 million in subsidies to mitigate tariff increases is unsustainable and ultimately burdens citizens further.
Instead, it advocates for exploring a sustainable and affordable pathway to fundamentally address the energy challenge with all the stakeholders involved, from the private sector to the public sector and the end users.
Bridge the divide
The SMIP is backed by PPP arrangements.
This vision transcends the limitations of the current, and arguably inadequate. The Public-Private Partnership Act is overly bureaucratic and lacks the robustness needed to accelerate development and industrialisation.
While Mission 300 intends to do things differently, this initiative will require political commitment to ensure successful delivery of the mission.
Namibia is poised for transformation. But transformation demands more than plans; it demands power. Without electricity, the SMIP risks becoming a paper plan.
With it, and with Mission 300 leading the charge, the country can truly deliver on the promise of inclusive development.
Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions, prominently featured in the country’s narrative, will ring hollow if its own citizens remain energy-poor.
The government cannot, and indeed should not, bear the immense responsibility of universal electricity delivery by itself.
The private sector must be empowered to become a central catalyst in achieving the government’s objectives.
Government, together with Mission 300, can empower the private sector to innovate, meeting the government halfway.
*Helena Tashiya Walenga is an energy enthusiast and developer.
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