The key to Namibians creating their own jobs and filling the employment gap themselves may lie in digital transformation.
This was the message by Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus, who addressed a workshop on digital transformation in the country, aimed at sharing information and best practices on e-governance,
Namibia's Deputy Minister for Information & Communication Technology highlighted a lack of infrastructure and access to finance as among the biggest challenges facing digital start-ups and ICT entrepreneurs.
She thus made an urgent call for collective consideration of alternative avenues to finance digital start-ups and support ICT entrepreneurship, as well as increase digital literacy in Namibia.
Namibia is preparing itself to be a world-preferred destination for the offshoring of ICT services.
The country is currently drafting and reviewing legislation and policies, including the Cybercrime Bill; the Data Protection Bill and the National Digital Strategy Concept Note, among others.
This, Theofelus says, could turn Namibia into a global player in the ICT space.
"The world should feel safe to have its data, stored and processed in Namibia. The world should be confident of our ability to do business in the digital space, Namibia's cyberspace should be the freest and safest world over we can introduce coding and programming classes in after-school programs and community centers and provide digital skills training to those who are unemployed or underskilled" she added.
MICT Executive Director Dr. Audrin Mathe encouraged governments to prioritize digital technologies and focus on leveraging their power to address fundamental development challenges in a more coordinated manner, in view of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
EU Ambassador to Namibia Sinikka Antila emphasized the potential of the two countries' partnership, noting that they have been actively utilizing the AU-EU Digital for Development Hub, which supports African institutions in laying the ground for inclusive digital transformation.