Namibia

Getting Electricity in

Namibia

Listed below are the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Name of Utility: City of Windhoek
  • City: Windhoek

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Hire licensed electrical contractor registered with utility

For all service connections, including connections up to 3 x 60 amp need a licensed electrical contractor registered with the utility to apply for a new electricity connection on behalf of the customers.

Agency: Electrical Contractor 		1 calendar day no charge
2 Submit application to City of Windhoek and await estimate

Application cannot be submitted online. It has to be submitted to the office the Strategic Executive – Electricity. The application form is free of charge, and has be to submitted alongwith a on-scale site plan, clearly indicating the position of the main board, as well as the schematic lay out of the main circuitry. Up to date cadastral plans and arial view photos are available with the utility, and from these pretty good estimates for lengths of cables can be done. In some cases where uncertainities exist, a site visit may be arranged.

Agency: City of Windhoek 		9 calendar days no charge
3 Receive estimate from City of Windhoek, make payment and await external connection works

Costs include network contribution (revised annually, and based on the total cost to install a 200 KVA mini substation, cost of cables, trenching, breaker, accessories, installation, administration fee and contingencies.

Agency: City of Windhoek 		18 calendar days NAD 209,305.8
4 City of Windhoek conducts external connection works

Utility liaises with other departments and conducts trenching, installs underground cables, and connection equipment to nearest substation. Based on the demand in the system, the utility will decide whether a distribution transformer is required for the connection. Costs of network contribution are fixed, irrespective of the fact that a transformer is installed or not. The external connection works is done by the utility in 2 – 3 weeks time.

Agency: City of Windhoek 		18 calendar days no charge
* 5 Customer purchase material and electrical contractor installs meter

Current Transformers (CT) for the meter have to be purchased by the customer, and the meter installation is done by the electrical contractor.

Agency: Customer 		2 calendar days NAD 350.0
6 Request and receive inspection of installation from the Installation Inspectorate.

When all external works is completed, the electrical contractor makes an appointment with the Inspection Inspectorate for installation inspection. If there is not problem with the installation, then a compliance certificate is issued.

Agency: City of Windhoek 		7 calendar days no charge
7 Electrical contractor registers customer with City of Windhoek and electricity is switched on

The applicant must register as a customer with the main offices of the City. The Installation Inspector will then switch on the main breaker.

Agency: City of Windhoek 		2 calendar days NAD 500.0
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
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