The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security will now issue and manage digital certificates that will allow Namibians to verify their identities when accessing government services online.
This comes after the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) accredited the ministry as Namibia’s first certification service provider.
Cran executive for communication and consumer relations Mufaro Nesongano says the accreditation is part of the rollout of Namibia’s national public key infrastructure (NPKI).
The accreditation allows the ministry to issue and manage subscriber certificates and public keys, which are used to confirm the identity of people or organisations using electronic services.
The accreditation was granted under the Electronic Transactions Act of 2019 and regulations introduced in 2025.
The accreditation will remain valid for four years, provided the ministry continues to meet Cran’s requirements. This also follows a signing ceremony between Cran and the ministry on Friday.
During the ceremony, the two institutions established a technical link between Namibia’s National Root Certification Authority and the ministry’s electronic identity system.
The system will support the introduction of electronic identity, or e-ID, services and secure digital authentication across government platforms.
Cran board chairperson Elwis Nashilongo says the accreditation formally recognises home affairs as the country’s first certification service provider.
Nashilongo says the ministry is now authorised to manage and issue subscriber certificates and public keys under Namibia’s digital trust system.
As the first provider accredited under the NPKI, the ministry will play a role in rolling out e-ID services across government platforms.
“The issuance of this certificate establishes a trusted foundation for secure digital services in Namibia,” Nashilongo said.
