With the aim of increasing economic activities in Namibia and encouraging tourism, which has suffered heavy losses in recent times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the local government has launched the Namibia Digital Nomad Visa, with the aim of receivingsmart tourists" in the country.
DIGITAL NOMADS👋 | 🇳🇦Namibia's Digital Nomad Visa is now available and planning your trip is easy and hustle-free🙃
Check out this exclusive offer from @GondwanaLodges for digital nomads👇#DigitalNomadVisa🇧🇷 #InvestNamibia
https://t.co/TSqVdf5iBx— Namibia Investment Promotion & Development Board (@NIPDB) October 13, 2022
In the person of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Council (NIPDB), this initiative comes so that the country can capitalize on its digital strengths to boost the tourism sector, whose contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 61,3, XNUMX% since August.
According to Nangula Uaandja, director general and president of the NIPDB, the new visa aims to unlock opportunities that enable a better quality of life for all Namibians.
"We identified that there is an opportunity to attract and economically benefit people who want to work, live and travel in Namibia, without absorbing jobs in Namibia“, said Uaandja.
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The Namibian visa for digital nomads will be valid for 6 months and will be granted to citizens of all countries in the world. The Council for the Promotion and Development of Investments in Namibia also emphasizes that candidates for this title must meet several criteria, including proof of significant monthly income greater than or equal to US$ 2.000 (about 97.000 kwanzas). Applicants must also be in possession of health insurance or travel insurance that covers risks during their stay in Namibia.
The country's other digital assets are grouped together in a digital ecosystem conducive to remote work, although internet costs are still very high in Namibia. According to Cable.co.uk, in their report “Worldwide Mobile Data Prices 2021. The Cost of 1GB Mobile Data in 230 Countries“, Namibia ranks 49th in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of the average cost of access to 1 gigabit (GB): US$ 22,37 (about 11.000 kwanzas).
According to DataReportal, the internet penetration rate was 51,0% of the total population at the beginning of 2022. Ookla data shows that the median mobile internet connection speed in Namibia increased by 5,91 Mbps (+42,3 %) in the twelve months to early 2022.
In addition, Namibia has a high e-Government Development Index (HEGDI) and ranks 6th among African countries according to the level of digitization of public services.
By leaving this initiative, Namibia becomes the 4th country in Africa to offer this special visa after Mauritius, Seychelles and Cape Verde. According to 2021 statistics from A Brother Abroad, there are approximately 35 million digital nomads worldwide, contributing to a global economic value of $787 billion.
