How Namibia is winning the development game

Anyone who’s ever taken a class in global development, or maybe even economics (not like I would know, ha), will read this post and say “duh, Sachi, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to go.” But how will anyone ever know if it goes how it’s supposed to unless they check for themselves? Here’s my confirmation that yes, development in the global world is a crazy and interesting thing.

1.     Phones. Everybody in Namibia has a cell phone. And by that, I mean everybody. There are basically no landlines, with the exceptions of governmental institutions (Village/Town Councils, schools, Ministry offices), but everybody has a phone. Many working adults have 2 or 3, and even most of my schoolchildren have their own phones. With this comes interesting consequences. The phone system here is pay-as-you-go. You can buy “credit” for your phone in amounts as small as N$5 (50 cents in the US). You can send 100 SMSes for 40c (4 cents in the US) and you are charged per minute for phone calls that you make. There are also plans you can pay for, by the week, if you know that you will make many phone calls, etc. It’s easy, accessible, and allows people to pay for/use what they can afford.

Phone access and low prices also lead to the result that everybody is online! I paid something like 50USD for my phone, and it has Facebook and Twitter apps, internet access, a qwerty keyboard, and a battery that STILL lasts for 4+ days! I noticed that Facebook relatively recently started allowing you to sign up for an account using a phone number instead of an email. Most Namibians don’t have a computer, don’t know how to use a computer, don’t have an email address. But they have Facebook, which they use from their phones as a means of communication and staying in touch with friends who stay far away. Data is also WAY cheaper here than in the US!

2.     Technology in general. Other technologies are the same! My school has a great computer lab with about 25 computers, which the learners are all learning to type on. The adults I know are also trying hard to progress with technology. Within the last 10 years, they have introduced computers to the schools. All of my teachers can type (if not well) their own tests and question papers on the computer. Even if some of the parts are still coming, it is a far cry from the handwritten test papers that our school used only 10 years ago.

Just for fun.. yes, we do still "cut and paste" in the literal way sometimes! But still, look at those nice photocopied papers.

3.     Solar/power. No, most Namibians are not aware of where their electricity comes from; and in fact, as far as I can tell, a lot of it actually comes from South Africa. In towns. Powering towns in a sustainable way is an issue all over the world, and Namibia is no different. But we do win out on small scales. In the South, most farms use solar power for their houses, bore holes (pumping water), etc. They are too far to get power from the grid, and solar is the easiest alternative. In the North, even though there are more clouds, many villages rely on solar power for things like charging cell phones. The north tends to be less “developed” in terms of infrastructure. When I visited a friend’s village, one of the only buildings with power (aside from government buildings!) was a mud hut with a solar panel, where locals could go to charge their phones or electronics.

4.     Banking. Banking is a hassle anywhere. But it really has gotten easier here… Of course, it depends on your bank. But most banks allow you to sign up for “cell phone banking”. You are SMSed anytime your account balance changes (so you know if you have been paid, or if someone steals your card). You can buy cell phone credit using your phone, if there is not a vendor nearby. You can even SEND money to someone having the same bank using your phone! In a country where towns are far apart and travel is relatively expensive, this has really allowed more universal access to basic banking.

I guess what I’m saying is that no, Namibia is not a first world country (although our GDP might indicate otherwise… stupid mines). But people here have done a great job taking existing technologies and slightly modifying them to fit our unique needs. The country is really growing and developing. And, as you will have learned from that development class, we are not starting from ground 0. Using ideas and technologies from other developed countries is really helping progress to occur rapidly and to alleviate a lot of the hassle and suffering that might otherwise exist.