By Sostenus Wilherm

The City of Windhoek has launched a N$12 million project to digitally map and inspect its more than 17,000 streetlights. This move aims to improve public safety, maintenance and infrastructure management.

The citywide Streetlight Survey Project, which began on 15 July, is expected to take 28 months to complete. It will involve the physical inspection of every municipal streetlight and the creation of the City’s first comprehensive digital streetlight asset register.

According to the City of Windhoek, survey teams will collect detailed information on each streetlight, including its GPS location, electrical supply point, pole type, lighting specifications and structural condition.

To support the project, the City has recruited 30 of the 34 fixed-term technical personnel required, with the remaining positions still being filled. The teams will use specialised digital devices to capture and transmit data in real time.

The City said the project will improve fault detection, reduce response times, strengthen preventative maintenance and support future expansion of the streetlighting network.

Residents are encouraged to continue reporting faulty streetlights, damaged poles and vandalised infrastructure through the City’s Customer Contact Centre and mobile application while the survey is underway.