SECTOR 2

Mobile Telecommunications
Namibia has two mobile telecommunications companies, both with majority state
ownership. MTC Namibia (owned by government with 51%) is the larger of the
two and claims to have 2.5 million active subscribers.9 TN Mobile, wholly owned
by the parastatal Telecom Namibia, claims to have over 300,000 subscribers.
Essentially, given that the country’s population stands at about 2.4 million, over
100% coverage of the Namibian population exists in terms of active SIM cards
per capita; though there are people and institutions who own more than one
handset or SIM card. Panellists noted that there is almost total territorial coverage
of mobile telecommunications.

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:
Score of previous years:

✓✓✓

✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓✓✓

3 .8
2005: 3.4; 2007: 3.9; 2009: 3.0; 2011: 3.0; 2015: 3.1

2.2 Citizens’ access to domestic and international
media sources is not restricted by state authorities
There are no laws restricting citizens’ access to other media sources – domestic
or international. Furthermore, there have been no cases in which international
media have been kept from entering the country, or prevented from being
viewed online.

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:
Score of previous years:

9

✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

✓

✓✓✓✓

4.9
2005: 4.6; 2007: 3.7; 2009: 3.8; 2011: 4.9; 2015: 4.3

Matthys, 2018. MTC Records 2.5 million Active Subscribers. In The Namibia Economist, 22 November 2018. Accessed at
www.economist.com.na on 20.12.2018.

25

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2018

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