Driving an ICT Journey for Namibia

The Republic of Namibia is a vast, sparsely populated country situated on the south Atlantic coast of Africa. Telecommunications in Namibia include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the internet. The new government has encouraged the development of the ICT sector; now the major cities in Namibia are connected. However, the rural areas are still not connected. Recently, ZTE Technologies interviewed Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. He talked about the status of Namibia's ICT sector, the greatest challenges and opportunities for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, and his future prospects for Namibia's telecom sector. He also shared with us his expectations for ZTE and his views on ZTE's social responsibilities.

You have been very active in promoting the development of the telecom sector. What are your priorities for Namibia's telecom sector?

Namibia is the youngest republic and the last country to become free and independent in Africa. We have remained behind for so many years, when other nations were moving forward. Therefore, we have the obligation to do things fast and to learn from others' experience so as to avoid mistakes that other countries have made. To do things better and faster, so we can catch up with other nations.
The ministry responsible for ICT was created in 2008, about 18 years after our independence. We haven't thought about ICT for 18 years. Of course, there have been some IT activities in areas within our government. It was only in 2008 that our government decided it was wise to have a coordinated approach to ICT.
We are not as old as other countries, but we don't complain. We have started; our idea is to make Namibia an ICT hub in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. We know it is a great task, but we are committed to making that to honor our citizens. That's why we are traveling around and seeing your technologies at your company. We are grateful that ZTE is amicable to Namibia, trying to help us and see how things can be done better.
We have an act of parliament, the Communications Act 2009, which has helped us move forward towards an information savvy nation. We also invested in a cable system in the West Africa, so that we can expand our communication lines. Of course, we had it as a joint venture between Namibia and Botswana to neighboring countries. Botswana is a landlocked country. Therefore, we invited them to join us in realizing the big dream of having a cable system that we can share.
This increased our traffic in terms of speed and volume for both the business community and public services. We have only been able to establish a regional hub for public services, which we need to expand to the constituencies, the villages and the towns in the country, but we haven't started yet. That is the areas that I think ZTE can propose solutions. We can look at them on how we can really give meaning to the investment on the cable, because otherwise, end up as just a big snake along our coast under the water but not really benefit the people.

Namibia's Vision 2030 focuses on knowledge, information and technology. What role does ICT play in realizing it?

We have developed a universal service and access policy with the idea of establishing a fund so that Namibia's enterprises can utilize the resource from the fund to maximize ICT and establish their own businesses. With this fund, they can communicate with others, reach out to businesses and manage the agricultural activities using ICT. Eventually, the whole system will change from a traditional model to an
ICT model.
To help the nation moving faster in the modern and broadband technological path, that's my dream.

The competition of Namibia's telecom market is very tight. How do you create synergy between the major competitors?

Currently, people who have access to communications are about 70% of the territory of Namibia. We still have 30% of the territory that is not covered. Traditional telecom operators have not been keen to expand these areas because of the difficulty of making business there.
With the new government, in a promoted and inclusive society, everybody should feel hard of the whole family within the nation. We are working towards reducing  that gap by inviting other operators and players  to take advantage in the areas that are not yet covered, so that they can be the pioneers and save
their pays.
Once they have laid it out, our communication must use towers. They can then be the first to establish services. Eventually, those that have traditionally been better off will enter into this area, they will see things are changing and be interested to come into play. That will help reducing the price of services for the citizens, and then citizens will enjoy more services and more improved life styles.

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in the next few years?

Today, we are working with ZTE, who is making progress because of its expertise and human resources. Every country needs that.
Now in Namibia, we have sagacity of expertise, particularly in the ICT sector. The ministry is not an exception. We have staff members who have wooed just traditional government employees, and who have not been orientated towards driving an ICT journey for the country. That is our main challenge.
Therefore, we look forward to partners and friends like ZTE. If we train many young people here, then they can work in the ministry and establish a new culture with sound understanding of what ICT can do for the nation, how government can drive the program to include everybody, and make the living and working conditions better for the people. In particular, the government employees can work better and deliver services timelessly without delaying access to services.

Namibia has witnessed a boom in broadband services in recent years. In you view, what have been the main drivers of this growth?

The main driver has been the political will. It indicated that as early as 2008, when the ministry responsible for the ICT sector was created. In addition to that political will, there is a commitment with resources, we will make it available to invest in our own cable. However, a major challenge is that we don't have a policy system. We don't have a broadband policy that is able to allow players and the government to manage broadband services.
Now, we are developing this policy. I'm sure once we have laid it as our roadmap, we will be able to move forward.

How would you like us to contribute to Namibia's telecom sector?

There is grave unemployment in the country because people don't have the knowledge that guarantees them to be self-employed or employed in Nambia or elsewhere. So we need massive training for the young people in the ICT sector.
Nowadays, ICT is the engine of any society to move forward. If we could get training institutes in the ICT sector, I think that would be a great foundation for us to move forward.
We don't know how it can be done in China; we only just visited ZTE. We don’t know the extent to which the whole nation, particularly the young people are prepared, because today and tomorrow belong to the young people. They need to be empowered to be able to manage their country and move it forward.

Could you tell us your future prospects for Namibia's telecom sector? What are your personal objectives?

I don't have personal objectives because in Namibia, it is a sin to become individualized. Namibia is a common home for all. That is why the president has promulgated the grand policy of improving the society.
Our focus is moving forward to ensure that everybody is a part of what happens in this country. Either in the ICT sector, or in the other culture sector, or in the construction sector, in every field of life, every Namibian should feel proud to be loved in a country called Namibia because they have a space to play their role, and they aren't an outsider in their own country. That's the dream of moving forward.

What is your achievement that you are most proud of?

There are two achievements. The first one is we have been able to put up the Communications Act, which laid the foundation for the country's ICT lifeline moving forward as a guidance.
The second one is we have invested in the cable so fast. Our investment is not just yearly, the fruit is not disseminated yet, but we are still on focus. As an ICT ministry, we have been responsible for coordinating that journey for the nation.
Both are grand achievements that I'm most proud of.

What's next on your agenda?

As I indicated, next on our agenda is to ensure that everybody is connected and bridge the digital divide. Currently, we have people who cannot listen to the radio in our country. They have to travel more than
300 kms to hear a radio. Yes, that is what I meant by 30% of Namibia is still not connected. They are neglected in Namibia. That is a sleepless night concern for us.
It is not a belt of the country. It pockets here, and then a belt, particularly in the north and west part of the country. In Angola and other countries along the sea, there are communities who have not seen a telephone, a land-line telephone, not even to use it. They have not seen a radio. The young children have not heard a radio; they have not seen cell phone.
Even if I go there, I can't use my cell phone. I have no reason to show it to them because they can see it, but they can't use it. That is the situation.

What's your view on companies like ZTE on social responsibility?

We would like our friends from ZTE not only go to Windhoek, the capital of this country, but also go out into the countryside. They can see and experience for themselves the challenges that our citizens are facing now, so they can help our citizens with their knowledge and solutions. They will know what ZTE can do. Once they see the rural areas, they can generate new ideas, help us connect better, and solve the problems there.
I think maybe ZTE can invest in rural areas, not blindly, and then it will recoup its costs when the whole community gets connected. When the people start using the services with the excitement and everybody compete in the areas, the rural areas are covered closely one with another.
However, it is very important for ZTE representing the Chinese government in the ICT sector to have a foothold or to make an input in those areas that are not connected. The name of ZTE can be remembered forever.