Electricity push lights up 8 000 Windhoek homes in 8 years
Windhoek has spent more than N$157 million over the past eight years to electrify more than 8 000 homes in informal settlements.
Windhoek mayor Sakarias Uunona said the City's informal settlement electrification programme, launched in 2018, has transformed thousands of lives through a partnership between the municipality and government.
A total of 8 045 households have been electrified since the programme began, he said.
Speaking during the seventh ordinary council meeting last week, Uunona said the programme represents a cumulative investment of about N$157.5 million, funded mainly through government grants.
He said electrifying homes serves as a catalyst for social and economic development by improving public safety, expanding educational opportunities, encouraging economic participation and improving living conditions in informal settlements.
The electrification drive will continue, with the City already implementing a new phase of projects that will connect an additional 1 300 households, Uunona said.
Twelve electrical contractors were appointed in April to provide electricity to residents across Okuryangava, Goreangab, Otjomuise, Mix Settlement and Morning Star at a cost of approximately N$33.5 million.
Excavation work, pole erection, conductor installation and ready-board installations are progressing well across most sites, while households in Mix Settlement have already begun receiving electricity connections.
Safe neighbourhoods
Beyond household electrification, the City is also investing heavily in public lighting to improve safety in communities.
Uunona revealed that since launching the high-mast lighting programme, also in 2018, Windhoek has erected 37 street lights at a cost of approximately N$13.85 million in informal settlements, transport corridors and other high-risk public areas to improve visibility and security.
The city has also embarked on what Uunona described as a landmark street light survey project worth N$12 million.
The 28-month project, which commenced on 15 July, will see more than 17 000 municipal street light poles physically inspected, digitally mapped and incorporated into a comprehensive asset management system for the first time in the city's history.
Uunona said the combined investments demonstrate an unprecedented commitment to improving access to electricity and public lighting across Windhoek, adding that the city's long-term goal is to ensure every household has access to electricity and that "no dark corner of Windhoek remains unlit".
Strong workforce
Uunona further stressed the importance of the informal economy, noting that it contributes an estimated 26.5% of Namibia's gross domestic product and provides employment for 58% of the national workforce.
Within Windhoek, the city has developed 18 open markets, including a communal car wash and four semi-developed markets, supporting the livelihoods of an estimated 44 200 people. However, he acknowledged that demand for trading space continues to outstrip supply.
To address this, council has approved 20 temporary trading sites where informal traders can operate under minimum hygienic conditions while permanent market infrastructure is developed through partnerships with the private sector.
"By supporting informal traders, council aims to empower thousands of residents to responsibly support their families with dignity while contributing to the development and prosperity of our city," Uunona said.
