Comerç electrònic a Namíbia

E-commerce

E-commerce market

E-commerce is in a nascent stage in Namibia and many online shopping platforms that were launched were short-lived due to outdated content and lack of sophisticated and secure payment methods. In fact, many Namibians do not trust websites or feel safe to provide credit card details online. The Namibian government has been working on an electronic transaction and cybercrime bill since 2017; however, the draft bill has been postponed repeatedly due to the public outcry over surveillance concerns. The lack of legal framework brings major limitations to electronic payments and consequently international services such as PayPal do not allow Namibians to receive money. Buy Online Namibia is the largest online retail store in the country and the Pan-African Jumia is among the most popular e-commerce websites. The local online store Zaleka is also quite popular for clothing.

Social media

Namibians are less active on social media than users living in neighbouring Botswana and South Africa. According to a Hootsuite survey, 0.62 million Namibians, which represent 24% of the total population, are active social media users (7% year-on-year increase). The Namibian firm Ohlthaver & List offers a similar estimate of 0.63 million. Most Namibians access their accounts via mobile (22% of total population, 10% year-on-year increase). Facebook is by far the most popular social media in Namibia with nearly all social media users having an account on this platform. Instagram has a better penetration rate than in Botswana and South Africa, with 0.21 million Namibians active users.