Renthia Kaimbi
Erongo Governor Nathalia /Goagoses delivered her second State of the Region Address on Wednesday, painting a picture of a region making tangible progress across multiple sectors while equally confronting challenges in education, road safety, and unemployment.
Speaking at the Swakopmund Municipal Chambers, /Goagoses reported that the region’s unemployment rate has dropped from 32% to an estimated 30% over the past year, a modest but meaningful improvement that reflects growing economic activity in the region.
The address, themed “Advancing the Erongo Region Towards the Realisation of Vision 2030,” echoed the national vision while highlighting regional achievements and shortcomings.
/Goagoses acknowledged the region’s resilience and the power of partnerships between government, the private sector, and communities, all united under the banner “One region, One vision.”
She emphasised that the Erongo Regional Council’s five-year Strategic Plan, launched last year, is on track and mirrors the aspirations of the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
The Governor confirmed that Uis has been officially upgraded from a settlement to village status, making it the eighth local authority in the region, with the regional council investing N$8.5 million to guarantee uninterrupted water supply.
The 31-kilometre Ozondati-Omatjete Bulk Water Pipeline, she reported, was successfully completed and commissioned at a cost of N$1.8 million.
/Goagoses also reported progress on housing delivery, stating that 41 houses are expected to be completed by year’s end across various settlements. Seven houses have already been completed through the Build Together Project, with two more in Omatjete due for completion this month.
The mining sector continues to be the region’s economic powerhouse, with uranium export earnings reaching record levels and contributing more than N$12 billion to the economy.
Direct employment in major mines now exceeds 8 600 workers, with thousands more employed in logistics, engineering, and services.
Several major projects are moving towards full-scale operations, including the Etango Uranium Project, which has identified resources of 207 million pounds of uranium oxide and currently has more than 560 workers on site.
The Osino Gold Project (Twin Hills) began development in March 2026, with first gold pour planned for 2027 and an estimated 175 000 ounces of annual production over a 13-year lifespan.
She hailed corporate social responsibility initiatives from mining companies as having made substantial contributions to community development.
Rössing Uranium invested over N$80 million in the medical centre in Karibib. Langer Heinrich Uranium donated six ambulances to health services and committed N$2 million to the Omaruru TVET Centre.
Despite economic gains, the Governor expressed disappointment with the region’s educational performance, reporting a dismal overall pass rate of 33.7% for the 2025 academic year, placing the region ninth nationally at Ordinary Level and eleventh at Advanced Subsidiary Level.
This, she noted, has prompted the regional council to host an Education Introspection Conference to develop a recovery roadmap.
On a positive note, two new schools are under construction in Swakopmund’s DRC informal settlement at an estimated cost of N$50 million, improving access to quality education and reducing overcrowding caused by rapid urbanisation.
/Goagoses also announced that the long-idle Yellow Building in Omaruru has been repurposed as the Erongo Technical and Vocational Centre, with modalities underway to allow enrollment this quarter.
Langer Heinrich Mine has pledged N$2 million in seed capital for the centre, which will offer innovative courses including green hydrogen and mineral analysis.
The region’s road infrastructure development is progressing, with major projects including the C35 Swakopmund/Henties Bay/Uis Main Road, which is 86% complete at a cost of N$1.03 billion and expected to be finished by February 2027.
The Karibib-Usakos Road Rehabilitation is 84% complete.
However, the Governor expressed concern over a 32% increase in road fatalities by mid-2026 compared with the same period last year, particularly along the coastal corridor between Karibib-Usakos, Usakos-Swakopmund, and Swakopmund-Walvis Bay.
She called for reviewing legislation regulating alcohol sales at fuel stations and for law enforcement to compel trucks to obey traffic rules, especially those travelling at night.
The region saw significant investment in social protection, with more than N$71 million disbursed to strengthen social welfare systems.
Old age grants benefited 22 262 recipients, up from 16 779 in the previous year, while disability grants supported 7 304 recipients. The number of foster care and vulnerability grant beneficiaries rose sharply from 12 923 to 32 727.
In health services, the N$27 million Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Swakopmund District Hospital was inaugurated, reducing the need to transfer critically ill newborns to Windhoek. A mini oncology centre was additionally established at Walvis Bay District Hospital, supported by the Namibia Cancer Association and Langer Heinrich Mine.
/Goagoses acknowledged persistent challenges including unemployment, particularly among youth and women, urbanisation and urban hunger, low educational output, and drug and substance abuse.
She urged civil society organisations and entrepreneurs to uphold higher standards of accountability in reporting on donations and grants.
The Governor also addressed succession disputes within traditional authorities, noting that matters are before the courts and her office fully respects the judicial process.
She reaffirmed the region’s commitment to inclusive prosperity, declaring the state of the Erongo Region as one of “resilience, progress and hope.”
