Namibians spend N$928 million on data in three months

Namibians have spent N$928 million on data in three months, primarily used for the WhatsApp application.

In the third quarter of the year (July to September), the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) reported that the telecommunications sector recorded a 1% growth in revenue.

This amount spent by Namibians is a result of consumers increasingly relying on data-driven applications such as streaming, social media, and cloud services.

“Data remains the primary driver of revenue growth across the sector. Data revenue increased from N$876 million to N$928 million,” the report reads.

WhatsApp accounted for the most used platform, followed by TikTok and Facebook.

The report says this indicates an ongoing growth in digital communication and video­centric content consumption.

On the cost side, the telecommunication companies recorded a decline in cost-improving revenue.

“Operating expenses declined slightly, which contributed to an improved revenue–cost ratio,” the report says.

Cran spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano says the sector has increased investments to expand networks particularly with fibre deployment and software upgrades.

The investment was much higher than what was recorded in the previous quarter.

“Investments in the telecommunications sector increased slightly, recovering from the decline recorded in the previous quarter. Although still below quarter one 2025 levels, these investments reflect ongoing network expansion efforts by operators,” Nesongano says.

Moreover, cyber-related threats declined by approximately 53% in the third quarter of 2025, while cyber-risk still remained high.

“Reported cyber-threat events declined significantly by approximately 53% in quarter three of 2025. However, exposure levels and underlying vulnerabilities remained largely unchanged, suggesting that the reduction stems more from shifts in scanning activity than a true decrease in cyber risk,” Nesongano says.

Cyber-vulnerabilities are weaknesses or flaws in a system, software, or network that can be exploited by an attacker.

While cyber-threats are potential or active dangers posed by malicious actors who attempt to exploit vulnerabilities to cause harm, steal data, or disrupt systems.

The broadcasting sector recorded an average of 3.5% increase in pay-TV subscriptions.

Nesongano says DStv subscriptions grew by 4%, potentially due to ongoing sports programming such as the English Premier League, while GoTV subscriptions decreased by 3%, possibly a result of competition from over-the-top streaming platforms.

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