More than two million MTC sim cards are active, but only 250 thousand have been registered under MTC's voluntary sim card registration process.
Manager of Corporate Affairs at MTC, John Ekongo, says the voluntary registration process, which started in July, is moving at an average pace.
Namibia is one of two African countries that has not fully implemented SIM registration, while more than 157 countries around the world have already done so.
The Communications Act compels users to register their SIM cards with the service providers, who will then obtain all relevant information before the sale and activation.
Between 300 and 400 users are registering their SIM cards per day countrywide.
Ekongo says a registered card comes with security benefits, which include preventing identity theft, combating phone-based fraud and fighting cybercrime, amongst others.
But, there are still some people who are uncomfortable sharing their personal information. "I can assure the public that these fears are misplaced and they have nothing to worry about. We cannot overemphasise the importance of data protection on our side. We also cannot emphasise enough why we are doing this. In this mandatory process, we also want to have the assurance of knowing that the customer we are engaging with is known. We from MTC can protect his data in the sense that we capture the right information. We are in a society where scammers, especially online and digital, are bold and more robust, and digital fraud is an absolute thing."
Ekongo says that everyone who owns an MTC sim card, whether postpaid or prepaid, must register.
A police declaration, ID documents, and proof of residential address are some of the important papers required when registering for a SIM card.
Sim cards that have not been registered in accordance with the new directives and guidelines will be cut off and removed from all networks, come December 2023.
"Let's not wait until the last minute at all, because once the last minute comes, obviously it will be an inconvenience, with long queues and waiting times that might be extended. Here, your time is anything between five to ten minutes, depending on how busy the traffic is, but normally we can service within five minutes, and then you are done," added Ekongo.