WINDHOEK — The long-anticipated National Mega Hackathon officially commenced with a vote of thanks delivered by Hon. Emma Theofelus, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, at the Windhoek Country Club Resort on 15 October 2025.
Reflecting on the origins of the hackathon, Minister Theofelus highlighted the approval of the National Digital Strategy (NDS) by the Namibian Cabinet. The NDS, launched on 5 August 2025, charts a roadmap to harness technology to overcome societal challenges and accelerate national development. The strategy aims to bridge the digital divide, promote digital literacy, enable citizen-centric public services, and unlock greater economic opportunities nationwide.
Minister Theofelus explained that in alignment with the NDS, the Ministry redirected its resources from hosting the traditional National ICT Summit towards driving practical action through the Mega Hackathon. This initiative seeks innovative digital solutions that can be integrated into government systems to directly benefit citizens.
Acknowledging Namibia’s youthful, digitally savvy population, the Minister stated their energy and creativity are “essential to achieving our national development agenda.” She expressed heartfelt appreciation for the teamwork and collaboration that made the event possible, giving special thanks to sponsors including CRAN, Syntex Technologies, PowerCom, Telecom Namibia, Huawei, Microsoft, and others. Technical partners such as the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and United Nations Development Programme were also recognized for their contribution.
Quoting a local saying, Minister Theofelus reminded the audience that gratitude is crucial: “If you do not give gratitude, you may one day end up taking (stealing) what is not yours.” She extended congratulations to participants for reaching this stage of the competition, encouraging them to let creativity and teamwork shine.
Closing, the Minister thanked all attendees for their ongoing support of Namibia’s digital transformation and wished everyone a productive and inspiring Mega Hackathon .
