AI regulation in Namibia: laws & policy (2026)
AI in Namibia: proposed.
Namibia has no comprehensive AI law in force as of mid-2026. The government is actively drafting a standalone AI Bill alongside a Data Protection Bill and Cybercrime Bill, all under the stewardship of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT). A national AI strategy and a UNESCO-supported AI Readiness Assessment Report (2025) have been published, and a proposed National AI Council with sector-specific Technical Working Groups is planned to govern implementation.
Legal framework
Draft Artificial Intelligence Bill (in preparation); National AI Strategy (2025); Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) as lead authority; National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) as research/assessment body
Key points: artificial intelligence in Namibia
Draft AI Bill
Namibia is finalising a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Bill intended to establish a governance framework for AI development and deployment, covering risks such as algorithmic bias, deepfakes, and data privacy. The bill was still in draft form as of mid-2025 and had not yet been tabled in Parliament.
National AI Strategy
A National AI Strategy was developed alongside the Readiness Assessment Report, proposing a decentralised governance structure with a National AI Council at the apex and sector-specific Technical Working Groups. Priority sectors include health, education, food security, water, energy, mining, and logistics.
UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment (2025)
The NCRST, with UNESCO support (funded by the Government of Japan), launched Namibia's first AI Readiness Assessment Report in August 2025. It assessed legal/regulatory, social, technical, educational, and economic dimensions and recommended establishing a formal national AI governance framework.
National Digital Strategy 2025-2029
The MICT's National Digital Strategy 2025-2029 includes a policy and regulation pillar that mandates ethical safeguards for emerging technologies, finalisation of the Data Protection Bill, and the use of regulatory sandboxes for digital services including AI-related applications.
Data Protection Bill (pending)
A Data Protection Bill, a key prerequisite for AI governance, was scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in September 2025. Its absence has been identified as one of the main gaps in Namibia's AI regulatory readiness.
Regional & AU alignment
Namibia has ratified the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) and aligns its draft frameworks with the SADC Model Laws on data protection, cybercrime, and e-commerce, as well as the AU Continental AI Strategy.
Sources
- unesco.org/ethics-ai/en/namibia
- unesco.org/en/articles/namibia-launches-artificial-intelligence-readiness-assess
- iafrica.com/namibia-drafts-landmark-ai-laws-to-boost-digital-governance-data-prot
- thebrief.com.na/2025/06/namibia-finalising-ai-data-security-laws/
- neweralive.na/ai-law-on-the-cards/
- cipit.strathmore.edu/national-ai-strategies-for-ai-governance-highlights-from-namibias-rec
- mict.gov.na/documents/869282/6089169/MICT_2025_2026_Budget_Speech+Full+Version.pd
- thebrief.com.na/2025/08/namibias-data-protection-bill-to-be-tabled-in-september/
- furtherafrica.com/2025/08/14/namibia-unveils-ai-readiness-report-to-drive-inclusive-dig
- economist.com.na/105263/perspectives/namibias-national-digital-strategy-offers-a-bluep
Next for Namibia: Data & PrivacyProposed
Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026