The Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) serves as Namibia’s state-owned national newswire service, providing domestic and international news content to media outlets, institutions, and the public. It was originally founded in 1987 as the Namibia Press Association, and formally reconstituted in 1991 following the country’s independence.
Media assets
News agency: NAMPA
State Media Matrix Typology:
Ownership and governance
NAMPA was established as a juristic person through Act No. 3 of 1992 by the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia. It is wholly owned by the Namibian state and falls under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).
Its highest governing body is the Board of Directors, appointed by the Minister of Information. The Board is responsible for selecting the agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who oversees NAMPA’s operations. Despite formal independence under law, the agency’s governance structure reflects tight political oversight.
In May 2024, it was publicly revealed that the MICT intends to merge NAMPA with the New Era Publications Corporation (NEPC). The proposed consolidation aims to cut costs and streamline state media operations, potentially under a new umbrella organization (e.g. Namibia Multimedia Network or Content Conglomerate of Namibia). As of June 2025, the merger remains in limbo, with no timeline disclosed and parliamentary scrutiny delaying formal implementation.
Observers have raised concerns that the merged entity may increase bureaucratic costs and entrench political control over public information flows, rather than improve efficiency.
Source of funding and budget
NAMPA is primarily reliant on annual state subsidies, supplemented by modest income from subscriptions and content licensing. Financial reporting has been sporadic, with the last published reports dating back to 2014–2015, when: In more recent years:
| Fiscal Year | State Subsidy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | NAD 15 million (US$920,000) | Budget tightening phase |
| 2020–2021 | NAD 20 million | Partial recovery |
| 2022–2023 | NAD 14 million | Significant drop |
| 2023–2024 | NAD 27 million (US$1.6 million) | Major increase linked to merger proposal |
Estimates indicate that state subsidies make up roughly 75–80% of NAMPA’s annual revenue. Without consistent public financial disclosures, NAMPA’s full financial picture remains opaque. Calls from civil society for audited annual reports and greater budget accountability have grown louder in 2025.
Editorial independence
While NAMPA officially claims to uphold editorial integrity—emphasizing its readiness to publish criticism of government when warranted—its credibility as an independent journalistic entity is frequently called into question. The Editors’ Forum of Namibia has publicly challenged claims of independence, citing institutional editorial bias and a lack of transparency in sourcing and story selection.
In early 2025, the Media Ombudsman of Namibia cited NAMPA in a series of complaints involving censorship and biased reporting, particularly related to political coverage and suppression of opposition viewpoints. These interventions remain advisory and lack legal force.
In March 2025, several journalists at NAMPA issued anonymous statements to watchdog groups alleging increased editorial pressure from MICT officials during the pre-budget period.
NAMPA does maintain an internal editorial policy document, but this guide is not legally binding and falls short of statutory protection for editorial independence.
No legislation currently exists that guarantees NAMPA’s autonomy from political interference. Editors and newsroom staff are effectively subordinate to government-appointed management.
June 2025