Namibia earns continental recognition for electricity generation reforms

Namibia has received continental recognition for its progress in regulating distributed electricity generation.

This was earned through the development, review and implementation of the country’s net metering rules and embedded generation standards, says the Electricity Control Board (ECB) in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The recognition was presented during the GET.transform Distributed Generation Programme currently underway in South Africa, a programme introduced in 2024 to help African countries expand small-scale, locally produced electricity to design and implement net metering frameworks.

ECB says net metering is a billing arrangement that allows customers who generate their own electricity to feed surplus power into the national grid in exchange for credits on electricity bills.

“Distributed generation is electricity produced close to where it is used like solar panels installed on rooftops of homes, businesses and farms rather than at large, centralised power stations,” the statement reads.

It says Namibia was identified as one of the programme’s leading countries because of its established regulatory framework governing electricity generation, grid connection, licensing and sales, as well as the successful implementation of embedded generation and net metering.

“These achievements have positioned Namibia as a benchmark, or model example, for the other participating African countries that joined the programme during the 2024–2025 cycle,” it says.

ECB plans to launch a distributed generation online platform in August as part of the programmes’ outcomes intended to simplify the management, monitoring and promotion of small-scale electricity generation in Namibia.

ECB says the recognition reflects Namibia’s commitment to creating a regulatory environment that encourages investment in the electricity sector and supports the integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind into the national electricity supply.

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