{"name":"Applied AI in Namibia — the record","description":"Every announced initiative, deployment, published result and regulation of applied AI on the record for Namibia, tagged by kind, industry, region and role, sourced and dated. A slice of the State of Applied AI record, maintained continuously by the Industrial Research Unit of the Straits Institute for Applied AI.","source":"https://www.straitsai.institute/state-of-applied-ai/namibia","partOf":"https://www.straitsai.institute/state-of-applied-ai/evidence.json","attribution":"Industrial Research Unit, Straits Institute for Applied AI","updated":"2026-10-29","facet":{"kind":"country","name":"Namibia","slug":"namibia","iso2":"NA","region":"Sub-Saharan Africa"},"counts":{"entries":10,"deployments":5,"evidenceImpact":0,"evidenceAdoption":1,"regulation":4,"industries":4,"countries":1,"linked":10},"entries":[{"kind":"regulation","industry":"Government & Public Sector","region":"Namibia","org":"National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST)","text":"The National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) created the National Artificial Intelligence Institute under Cabinet Decision No. 14th/23.08.22/001, advancing Namibia AI policy. Four units (Development, Datasets, AI Innovation, Research and Development) steer this national AI hub's studies, ideas, data and homegrown tool rollout for ministries and firms.","date":"2026-09-23","source":"https://technews.com.na/2026/09/24/namibia-launches-ai-institute-to-drive-research-innovation/"},{"kind":"deployment","industry":"Education & Training","region":"Namibia","role":"Teacher","org":"Angra Pequena Senior Secondary School","text":"Angra Pequena Senior Secondary School in Lüderitz has opened two AI tutoring labs worth N$1.15 million, funded by BW Kudu (N$900,000) and the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) (N$250,000). YYeni AI's software coaches pupils step by step and doubles as a classroom helper for staff, backed by teacher training and a resident support specialist. YYeni counts over 4,940 tutoring hours and 2,253 practice tests logged in the machine-guided study rooms.","date":"2026-09-21","source":"https://economist.com.na/yyeni-ai-launches-n1-15m-ai-powered-tutoring-labs-in-luderitz/"},{"kind":"regulation","industry":"Agriculture & Food","region":"Namibia","org":"Government of Namibia","text":"Namibia's Cabinet told officials to scrap a N$40 million deal with US agritech company 6th Grain Corporation for countrywide AI crop monitoring by satellite. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Land Reform then ended the Remote Sensing Agricultural Services Agreement, saying the satellite-monitoring deal broke the legal and procedural rules for state contracts. Earlier press coverage had queried how the tender was granted and whether an overseas company should oversee the nation's food production.","date":"2026-08-20","source":"https://www.namibian.com.na/cabinet-blocks-us-ai-crop-monitoring-tender/"},{"kind":"evidence-adoption","industry":"Government & Public Sector","region":"Namibia","org":"UNESCO Namibia","text":"UNESCO Namibia trained 22 judges, magistrates and legal officers on Artificial Intelligence and judicial decision-making at a Windhoek workshop with the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, running 23 to 25 June 2026. Topics included algorithmic transparency, machine-generated evidence, data safeguards and judicial independence, drawing on UNESCO's Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law. Namibia's courts face growing exposure to AI in judicial processes.","date":"2026-06","source":"https://dig.watch/updates/unesco-ai-judicial-training-namibia"},{"kind":"deployment","industry":"Healthcare & Life Sciences","region":"Namibia","role":"Hospital administrative staff, nursing staff","org":"Medfam Holdings (Rhino Park Private Hospital, Welwitschia Hospital)","text":"AI patient experience agents now handle admissions and support at two Namibian hospitals run by Medfam Holdings, the country's largest private hospital network: Rhino Park Private Hospital in Windhoek and Welwitschia Hospital in Walvis Bay. Patients reach the system via WhatsApp or webchat in Afrikaans, English and German for intake data, complaints, surgical guidance, specialist lookups and quote requests. One shared platform links both sites, so a patient can move between hospitals without repeating details, an early case of AI in healthcare administration.","date":"2026-04","source":"https://proto.cx/resource/medfam-hospital-network-deploys-proto-ai-patient-experience-agents/"},{"kind":"deployment","industry":"Government & Public Sector","region":"Namibia","role":"Consumer protection officer","org":"Bank of Namibia and Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia","text":"Namibia's ConsumerConnect pilot brings an AI agent network for citizen complaints, run by the Bank of Namibia and the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia. Over 2,000 banking, insurance, non-banking and telecommunications firms use this AI-powered complaint resolution system in Afrikaans, English, German and Oshiwambo, funded by the Gates Foundation on Proto's platform.","date":"2025-12","source":"https://www.proto.cx/resource/namibias-government-to-launch-ai-agents-for-citizen-support-and-complaint-resolution"},{"kind":"deployment","industry":"Education & Training","region":"Namibia","role":"Teacher","org":"Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture","text":"Classroom instruction at Lüderitz Secondary School now blends with software under a five-month scheme called the YYeni AI Lüderitz Pilot, built on the YYeni AI learning platform and connected via Telecom Namibia. Staff have shifted toward guiding pupils individually as the system adapts material for them across subjects, an AI-assisted learning approach officials hope proves itself. Namibia's Ministry of Education intends to widen this AI tutoring effort to cover 25 schools and 2,500 learners come 2026.","date":"2025-07","source":"https://english.news.cn/africa/20250806/ad595f2f203243cfad66c163079355b3/c.html"},{"kind":"regulation","industry":"Government & Public Sector","region":"Namibia","org":"Ministry of Information and Communication Technology","text":"Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has produced a draft Artificial Intelligence Bill setting out how AI should be used responsibly and safely across government and industry, a step officials describe as central to this Namibia AI regulation drive. Speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila linked the plan to a broader effort at overhauling public administration and curbing hazards from emerging digital tools, and ICT Minister Emma Theofelus later told Parliament in September 2025 that drafters are matching the Bill against UNESCO's guidance on AI ethics as this AI governance legislation takes shape.","date":"2025-06","source":"https://iafrica.com/namibia-drafts-landmark-ai-laws-to-boost-digital-governance-data-protection/"},{"kind":"deployment","industry":"Healthcare & Life Sciences","region":"Namibia","role":"Radiographer","org":"Ministry of Health and Social Services","text":"Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services deploys AI-powered digital chest X-rays for AI tuberculosis screening and earlier diagnosis. On World TB Day in the Omusati region, Minister Esperance Luvindao pledged support for extending AI-aided digital X-ray screening to health facilities and communities. Its TB incidence ranks among the world's 11 highest.","date":"2025-03","source":"https://english.news.cn/africa/20250329/a143c7051c3f442db05e338cfee1f561/c.html"},{"kind":"regulation","industry":"Government & Public Sector","region":"Namibia","org":"Government of Namibia","text":"Namibia AI policy now runs through a new National AI Council driving the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, backed by Technical Working Groups for healthcare, education, agriculture and mining. The goal: regional leadership in AI adoption and innovation.","date":"2025-02-20","source":"https://cajnewsafrica.com/2025/02/20/namibia-launches-national-ai-strategy/"}]}