Windhoek: The City of Windhoek (CoW) has unveiled its Windhoek People-Centred Smart City Strategy for 2026-236, setting a transformative agenda for the next decade. The strategy was launched by Windhoek Mayor, Sakarias Uunona, who emphasized the city's commitment to several transformative initiatives that will act as key pillars for the smart city's development.
According to Namibia Press Agency, one of the major initiatives includes the commercialization of the city's fiber optic network. This move is aimed at providing a robust digital backbone to support smart city applications, digital governance, connectivity, and innovation. Mayor Uunona highlighted the city's collaborative efforts with the national government and development partners to modernize public transport and enhance urban mobility. Proposed projects include commuter rail services integrated with bus services, non-motorized transport infrastructure, and transit-oriented development principles.
These initiatives are designed to be part of a broader vision, focusing on creating a city that is interconnected physically, digitally, socially, and economically. Mayor Uunona noted that the strategy serves as a framework to integrate these initiatives into a coherent urban transformation program. The strategy aligns with Windhoek's development priorities, supporting crucial areas such as housing, land management, informal settlement upgrading, urban transformation, and improved service delivery.
The success of the strategy's implementation will be measured not just by the quality of the plan but by the collective efforts to transform its vision into tangible outcomes. Mayor Uunona stressed the importance of moving from planning to implementation, from ideas to action, and from ambition to impact.
Developed in partnership with UN-Habitat, the strategy was crafted through comprehensive desk research, surveys, assessments, and multiple validation and consultation rounds. Guest speaker Edlam Yemeru, Director of External Relations and Strategy and Chief of the Knowledge and Innovation Branch at UN-Habitat, encouraged city decision-makers to address citizens' needs while considering challenges related to resources and capacities in a rapidly evolving environment.
City of Windhoek Chief Executive Officer, Moses Matyayi, expressed the city's dedication to realizing the vision of a people-centred smart city, believing that Windhoek is well-positioned to achieve this goal. Matyayi urged all stakeholders to meaningfully contribute to the project to ensure its success.