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Namibia

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Namibia is a large country with a population of over 2.5 million (World Bank, 2022).

COL’s work in Namibia is in the areas of Open Schooling, Higher Education, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment through Skills Development. Namibia is part of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) network and benefits from programmes offered by the Southern African Development Community’s Centre for Distance Education (SADC-CDE), COL’s regional centre. Learners from Namibia are also participating in COL’s free online courses and benefitting from other openly available resources.

Highlights

  • A strategy for the digitisation of learning resources, with a focus on climate-responsive sustainable livelihoods and food security, has been developed.
  •  A range of innovations has built capacity for open education in three Namibian educational institutions, covering topics such as employability and blended learning.
  • More than 4,600+ community members, including 3,200+ women and girls, have been trained in practical livelihood skills such as horticulture, poultry production, tailoring and entrepreneurship.
  • The Namibian Open Learning Network Trust developed a revised National ODL Policy in June 2025.

Partners

Partnerships are fundamental to COL’s work. Strategic partnerships allow COL to broaden its reach and engage at global, regional and national levels, while implementation partners support COL’s work in communities and institutions across Commonwealth Member States. Partners include multilateral organisations, regional bodies, national governments, government agencies, foundations, civil society organisations, public and private (not-for-profit) institutions and the private sector. COL partnerships assist in improving and extending teaching and learning services to people in the developing Commonwealth.

COL’s partners in Namibia include:

  • Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture
  • Khomas Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture
  • Namibia Qualifications Authority
  • Namibian Open Learning Network Trust
  • Namibian College of Open Learning
  • Namibia University of Science and Technology
  • University of Namibia

Key Contacts

Board Member

Honourable Sanet L. Steenkamp, MP
Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture

Focal Point

Vacant
Director – Adult Education
Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture

More Information

News

Reports

Publications and Resources

Country Data Sources