Public-private partnerships have the potential to increase the current rate of electrification in the Erongo Region from 78% to more than 80%.

This is according to the regional electricity distribution body, Erongo Red.
 
 Out of 75 000 households in Erongo, 16 700 remain unelectrified. 

The electrification rate increased from 60% in 2023 to 78% currently.
 
The Erongo Red Chief Executive Officer Tino !Hanabeb said the current target is to electrify 1 500 houses over a period of two years.
 
But through public-private partnerships, the target will increase to 2000 houses over the same period.
 
The CEO revealed the statistics at Karibib, where a public-private electrification project with the Navachab Gold Mine connected 257 houses to the national grid.
 
“We also urge the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy to be able to encourage the other mines to emulate what Navachab is doing here because if they can put N$4 million  this year and make another N$4 million the other year, and the other mines can do the same, we will be able to increase our electrification in the region to really over 80 percent.”
 
 
Meanwhile, the Erongo Red Board Chairperson Zoe Nambahu indicated that the demand for electricity in both rural and peri-urban areas remains high.
 
She said the company commenced the mapping and surveying of unelectrified settlements across the region.

“To date, Erongo Red has identified over 5 800 dwellings in peri-urban areas, spread across eight localities, requiring electrification at an estimated cost of approximately N$300 million. Furthermore, more than 4 500 households in rural areas, across 310 localities, will require an additional N$300 million to be electrified.” 

One of the factors crippling the efforts by Erongo Red is copper theft and vandalism.
 
Erongo Red earlier this year said the company spends over N$500 000 every month to restore electricity due to copper theft.