The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economy and Industry, Public Administration and Planning has instructed the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy (MIME), in collaboration with the Electricity Control Board (ECB), NamPower, and the Productivity Task Force (PTF) on Energy, to come up with a comprehensive electricity plan and submit it to Parliament within six months.
This comes as the country continues to grapple with low local electricity generation and continuing to rely heavily on power imported from neighbouring countries.
In September 2025, Namibia’s own generation only accounted for 39.9% (160,531 MWh) of the total electricity supplied to the domestic economy, while imports made up for the remaining 60.1% (242,151 MWh).
South Africa remained the main source of electricity imports, contributing 43.0% of the total imported electricity, followed by Zambia with 32.9%.
Former Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on the Economy, said the electricity plan they were demanding will seek to outline measures to secure affordable and reliable power supply within the next three years to support Namibia’s industrialisation drive.
“Within six months, present an electricity plan to the National Assembly that will ensure and secure affordable electricity in Namibia within the next three years, as a catalyst for industrialisation,” Shiimi said.
He said the Committee has instructed the Ministry to speed up the introduction of new energy legislation in the National Assembly to strengthen governance in the energy sector and attract investment in local power generation.
Shiimi said the Committee has also urged the Ministry to allocate resources for domestic electricity production and to launch national energy awareness campaigns promoting energy security as a foundation for economic growth.
The Committee’s report calls for closer cooperation between government, the private sector and stakeholders to develop alternative energy sources.
Shiimi said this will help expand grid capacity, improve energy resilience and align Namibia with international energy and environmental commitments.
He said increasing domestic electricity generation is essential to reduce reliance on imports, lower costs for households and industries, and improve Namibia’s long-term competitiveness.
According to the report, government aims to achieve 80% household electricity access by 2035, ensuring that the country’s energy infrastructure supports inclusive growth, industrial development and environmental sustainability.
