The City of Windhoek (CoW) has taken a decisive step toward regulating Namibia’s emerging electric vehicle (EV) market, ordering all businesses, property owners and residents in the capital to register high-capacity EV charging stations by 30 November 2026. 

This signals both opportunity and growing pressure on the country’s electricity infrastructure.

In a recent public notice, the Windhoek municipality made it clear that any EV charging installation exceeding the capacity of a standard household socket, defined as 16A, 230V AC (approximately 3.7kW), must be formally registered with the city’s Electrical Department. The directive applies broadly, covering public charging stations at shopping centres and office parks, as well as private residential installations that require upgraded electrical capacity.

Failure to comply with this CoW directive could carry serious consequences as non-registered installations risk penalties or outright disconnection, underscoring concerns about grid stability as Namibia slowly but consistently moves toward electrified transport.

While Namibia’s EV market remains in its infancy, the CoW’s intervention suggests authorities are preparing for a surge that has already reshaped global automotive markets. Globally, EV adoption has accelerated at a pace few predicted. According to recent international estimates, more than 17 million electric vehicles were sold in 2024 alone, pushing the global EV fleet beyond 40 million units.

EVs now account for roughly one in every five new cars sold worldwide, which is a significant rise from just a few years ago. 

This rapid growth in EV mobility is being driven by a combination of environmental policy, technological advances, and, of course, rising fuel costs. In the domestic markets, where consumers are highly sensitive to petrol and diesel price fluctuations, the economic case for EVs is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Recent local fuel price hikes, including increases in both petrol and diesel, have intensified pressure on households and businesses already grappling with high transport costs. 

For many, EVs are no longer a futuristic luxury but a potential hedge against volatile fuel prices and uncertain fuel supply resulting from the US war in Iran.

Despite global momentum, Namibia’s EV landscape remains largely uncharted territory. There are currently no official statistics quantifying the number of electric vehicles on the country’s roads, highlighting a significant data gap in policymaking and planning.

Industry insiders suggest that hybrid vehicles, combining internal combustion engines with electric assistance, significantly outnumber fully electric models. The current range of EVs includes Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), which run entirely on electricity; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), combining electric driving with fuel backup; Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), using electric assist without plug-in capability; and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), powered by hydrogen.  A lesser-known but increasingly relevant EV category is the Range Extender Vehicle (REV), which operates primarily as an electric vehicle but uses a small combustion engine purely as a generator to recharge the battery. This offers a compromise between full electrification and range security.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest constraints to EV adoption in Namibia remains infrastructure, specifically charging capacity.

According to Karl-Heinz Eisenberg, sales manager at JAC Motors Namibia, the country’s charging network is still extremely limited.

“The fastest EV charger in Namibia is currently 40kW/h. However, there is no real way of knowing exactly how many EVs are on the roads in Namibia,” Eisenberg noted. 

“I doubt this directive from the City of Windhoek will affect most people. I believe there are only two or three chargers in the country that currently exceed the 3.7kW threshold.” He added that most existing chargers, including those used by JAC Motors, fall well below the registration threshold, with typical outputs of 1.5kW to 3kW.

This stark reality exposes a paradox: while regulators are preparing for a future of widespread EV adoption, the present-day infrastructure remains minimal.

Grid stability

The CoW’s directive appears aimed at preventing precisely the kind of infrastructure bottlenecks and grid strain that have challenged more advanced EV markets. This is because high-capacity chargers, particularly fast and ultra-fast units, can place significant demand on local electricity networks. 

Without proper oversight, a sudden proliferation of such installations could destabilise supply. By requiring registration through certified electrical contractors, the city is effectively building a database of EV infrastructure while ensuring installations meet safety and technical standards.

Eisenberg welcomed the CoW’s move, describing it as a proactive step toward managing future growth. Windhoek’s regulation comes at a critical moment. 

As global EV prices gradually decline and fuel costs remain unpredictable, Namibia could soon reach a tipping point where electric mobility becomes economically viable for a broader segment of the population.

In addition, if domestic fuel prices continue their upward trajectory, consumer behaviour could shift faster than expected, forcing both policymakers and the private sector to accelerate preparations.

For now, the CoW’s directive may affect only a handful of high-capacity installations. 

But its significance lies in Namibia, which is beginning to take electric mobility seriously, even before the market fully arrives.

Recently, commenting on rising fuel prices, economist Klaus Schade noted that escalating global oil prices should be a wake-up call for Namibia to exploit its own renewable energy resources and to move towards e-mobility and the use of green hydrogen as a fuel. 

Namibia needs to develop an e-mobility policy and identify transport areas that can relatively easily transition to e-vehicles, such as urban public transport, urban delivery vehicles, and perhaps even ambulances and police vehicles, which are usually not used for long-distance driving. This transition is necessary not only to lessen our dependence on energy imports but also to reduce our carbon footprint”, Schade stated. 

-ebrandt@nepc.com.na