Namibia has launched a UNDP-supported electronic identity card (e-ID) pilot project at Otjimbingwe to enhance security, expand digital services, and promote inclusion ahead of a nationwide roll-out.
The e-ID, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is a physical smart card embedded with a secure chip that will replace the current national identity document.
It is designed to enhance security, combat fraud, and expand digital access to services, including banking, social grants, and online government transactions.
Launched at Otjimbingwe in the Erongo region on Tuesday, the pilot project will run across different communities until June 2026, after which a nationwide roll-out will follow.
The pilot aims to seek input from communities which are often excluded from digital transformation, and also includes testing and onboarding of the mobile ID.
During a courtesy meeting with Erongo governor Natalia |Goagoses, UNDP deputy resident representative Christian Shingiro described the e-ID as a key instrument to modernise government services and protect citizens’ information.
“This is not just a card, but a tool that will enable Namibia to leap into digital governance. It will reduce bureaucracy, safeguard identities, and strengthen access to services,” he said.
The head of experimentation at the UNDP Namibia Accelerator Lab, Yrika Maritz, says the pilot initiative addresses long-standing gaps in reaching all communities.
“Digital identification cannot be reserved for those at towns alone. It is about equity, fairness and ensuring that no Namibian is left behind in accessing government programmes,” she says, adding that the UNDP will continue complementing government efforts in this regard.
Deputy director in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security and chief registrar Jackson Wandjiva says Otjimbingwe was selected as one of the pilot sites due to its historical significance and diversity.
“Otjimbingwe is home to Namibia’s first post office and was once a key administrative hub. It is fitting that we use this settlement as a testing ground for a project that connects our past with our future through technology,” he says.
|Goagoses applauded the government and its partners for extending the project beyond Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
“Erongo has seven constituencies, and development must reach every pocket of our society. Piloting the e-ID at Otjimbingwe reminds us that technology does not always have to start in the capital. It can also start in a village, and perhaps that makes more sense,” she said.
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