Namibia strengthens digital trust
Namibia has launched a national digital trust initiative aimed at making online transactions and digital identities more secure and legally recognised.
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) officially launched DigiNam, under the tagline "Trust is Now Digital", in Windhoek on 31 August.
The initiative is built on Namibia's National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI), a framework that supports secure digital identities, electronic signatures and authentication services.
CRAN also serves as Namibia's Root Certification Authority (Root CA), the highest trust anchor in the country's digital security infrastructure.
The Root CA enables trusted digital certificates and authentication services, while DigiNam provides a public-facing framework for their use by citizens, businesses, government institutions and service providers.
The initiative follows the implementation of provisions of the Electronic Transactions Act of 2019, which provides the legal basis for electronic signatures, digital trust services and the accreditation of certification service providers.
CRAN said the framework could support secure e-government services, electronic commerce, digital banking, healthcare, education and other digital services.
Elwis Nashilongo, chairperson of the CRAN board, said DigiNam was an important milestone in Namibia's digital transformation.
"DigiNam provides the trust that is essential for a modern digital society, ensuring that digital interactions are authentic, secure and conducted with confidence," he said.
CRAN chief executive Emilia Nghikembua said the initiative was intended to strengthen trust in Namibia's digital economy.
"As the national trust anchor, CRAN is committed to ensuring that every digital interaction, whether between citizens, businesses or government, is secure, authentic and legally recognised," she said.
She said DigiNam and the Root Certification Authority could support innovation, cybersecurity, service delivery and wider digital inclusion.
Information minister Emma Theofelus said trust was central to the development of the digital economy.
"Trust is the true currency of the digital economy," she said, adding that DigiNam would make secure digital identities, electronic signatures and trusted online transactions more accessible within Namibia's digital ecosystem.
Home Affairs minister Lucia Iipumbu said trusted digital identity was important for modern public services.
She said secure electronic identity solutions could allow citizens to access services more safely and conveniently.
DigiNam is expected to support applications including digital identity, remote customer verification, electronic contracts, online banking, healthcare records, educational credentials and business registration.
CRAN said it would work with government, industry, financial institutions, academia and citizens to encourage adoption of the digital trust framework.
The initiative is intended to provide the digital infrastructure needed for more secure online transactions while supporting greater participation in Namibia's digital economy.
