Water infrastructure to be expanded
New Orange River dam to cost N$4 billion
Plans to build a major dam on the Orange River, a project long seen as vital for Namibia and South Africa’s water security, have grown in both scale and cost.Speaking in Cape Town last week, Minister of Agriculture, Water, Land Reform and Fisheries Inge Zaamwani confirmed that the planned Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift Dam will be bigger and more expensive than earlier estimates suggested. The project, which has been on the table for about 15 years, falls under the Orange-Senqu River Commission (Orasecom), made up of Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana.
The announcement came during the African Union’s Water Investment Summit 2025, held under South Africa’s G20 presidency. The summit highlighted Africa’s staggering US$30 billion annual investment gap in the water sector.
According to Zaamwani, Namibia and South Africa have committed to a new joint feasibility study for the dam. The study will cost US$2.5 million (about N$44 million), to be shared equally by the two countries. If the project goes ahead, construction could cost around US$231 million (N$4 billion). The governments hope to attract private investors to ease the burden on taxpayers.
For comparison, Namibia’s Neckartal Dam near Keetmanshoop cost the nation N$5.7 billion. Still, Zaamwani stressed that the Orange River dam is crucial for long-term water security, socio-economic development, and ensuring ecological flows to the lower reaches of the river.
Other plans underway
Alongside the dam, Namibia is also working on several other major water initiatives. These include a second coastal desalination plant and rehabilitation of old infrastructure, supported by low-interest loans of around N$4 billion from the African Development Bank and KfW. The aim is to expand safe water supply and sanitation across both rural and urban areas.
But the Orange River dam is just one part of an even bigger national development pipeline. The government has also announced ambitious plans for the long-delayed Baynes Dam on the Kunene River, a new oil refinery, a nuclear power plant, railway links from Katima Mulilo to Cape Fria and from Gobabis to Buitepos, as well as a massive deep-water port south of Lüderitz.
Together, these projects run into the tens of billions of Namibia dollars – a staggering figure at a time when Namibia’s national debt stands just shy of N$165 billion. Critics point out that while these mega-projects are touted as essential for future growth, many children in the country are still taught in makeshift classrooms built from logs and sand.
For now, the Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift Dam remains in the planning phase, with more studies to come. Whether it will turn into a lasting solution for Namibia and South Africa’s water challenges, or another costly promise, remains to be seen.