Namibians Head for Elections With Confidence in the Freedom of Their Press

Most citizens want media to play a watchdog role over government.

Key findings

• About seven in 10 Namibians (71%) say the media should “constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption.”
• More than six in 10 (62%) insist on media freedom, while 36% endorse a government right to prevent the publication of things it disapproves of.
• Three-quarters (75%) of Namibians say the country’s media is “somewhat free” or “completely free” to report and comment on the news without government interference, while 22% disagree.
• Radio is the most popular source of news in Namibia, used at least “a few times a week” by 77% of citizens. o Social media (50%), television (44%), and the Internet (43%) beat out newspapers (35%) as regular news sources.

In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, Namibia fell from 22nd to 34th position out of 180 countries (Reporters Without Borders, 2024). While the country’s media scene still ranks second in Africa after Mauritania (Matthys, 2024), there are notable challenges.

Namibia’s Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and specifically mentions the media: “All persons shall have the right to: (a) freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media” (African Media Barometer, 2018; Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung, 2021).

This constitutional provision is reinforced by international instruments, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Culture, Information, and Sport; and the landmark Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press, all of which aim to create a safe environment for the practice of journalism (African Media Barometer, 2018; CIPESA, 2022).

But despite these provisions, police attempts to destroy footage collected during public demonstrations and public officials’ efforts to intimidate journalists (African Media Barometer, 2022) suggest a growing threat to media sustainability and citizens’ access to public interest journalism.

On the positive side, the president signed the Access to Information Bill into law in 2023, legislation designed to strengthen citizens’ access to information held by both public and private entities, to aid in promoting a culture of transparency and accountability in the country (Beukes, 2023).

With elections on their doorstep, how do Namibians assess their media scene?

According to the most recent Afrobarometer survey, Namibians value media freedom and broadly agree that the media should act as a watchdog over the government, constantly investigating and reporting on government mistakes and corruption. A majority say media freedom does exist in practice in their country, though one-fifth of adults disagree.

While radio is the most popular news source in Namibia, more than four in 10 citizens also regularly obtain news via social media, television, and the Internet.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa