Namibia: Buy the Best SIM Cards | 2024 Guide

If you want to get on the internet while in Namibia, then you want to buy a local Namibian prepaid SIM card.

Why? Because SIM cards are affordable in Namibia.

You can get a Namibian SIM card for as low as 6.99 NAD (0.40 USD). An internet package with 1 GB of data can be purchased for 159.85 NAD (8.75 USD).

Mobile data rates in Namibia are cheap, especially looking at the average prices in other African countries.

There are not many international roaming packages that will beat the prices the Namibian operators have to offer, which is the case in most countries – local SIM cards are the cheapest way to stay connected when traveling around the world.

Moreover, mobile coverage throughout Namibia is good, especially compared to neighboring countries and other countries in Africa, which is another reason to get a Namibian SIM card.

In this guide, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a prepaid SIM card in Namibia. Let’s go.

Original publication: 21st of June 2020. Last updated: 7th of November 2023.

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Table of Contents

Can I Use my Phone in Namibia?

Namibia has GSM networks utilizing frequencies used in many regions around the world (such as Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania), but not in the Americas (North-, Central-, and South America + the Caribbean).

If you purchased your phone in the Americas, if your device has not been unlocked, or the phone does not support Namibia's frequencies, then you cannot use your phone in Namibia.

Mobile Operators, Networks, and Frequencies in Namibia

Namibia has 2 telecom operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:

• MTC
• TN Mobile (by Telecom Namibia)

Both operators have 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE networks.

The following frequencies are used by the Namibian operators:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3) & 2600 MHz (Band 38)

To learn whether your device supports these frequencies or not, go to this site to find out.

Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).

If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.

A Note About Paratus Telecom

There is also a third operator called Paratus Telecom. Although they offer mobile data, their target the home market (broadband internet in Namibia is not widely available yet). Paratus does not even offer the ability to make voice calls.

However, on average, Paratus Telecom offers the lowest data rates, but their coverage is extremely limited (which is why they will not be covered in this article). You should only consider Paratus Telecom if staying in Windhoek, Kleine Kuppe, Okahandja, Swakopmund, or Walvis Bay.

Best SIM Card in Namibia

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SIM Card Registration Regulations in Namibia

You do not have to show your passport or register your personal details when buying a SIM card in Namibia.

This is different from most African nations (except for Cape Verde and Comoros, where SIM card registration is not necessary).

According to Privacy International, the Namibian government is considering implementing a SIM card registration law. 

This section will be updated once a clear decision has been made by the Namibian authorities.

The State of the Namibian Telecom Market

Namibia is the second-least densely populated country in the world behind Mongolia (which I have written a SIM card buying guide on as well). This means that coverage is not as extensive as you are used to in other African countries or other countries in general.

Luckily, all cities and towns have at least 3G coverage with both MTC and TN Mobile. However, smaller towns may only have 2G reception, which is too slow for modern data use. 4G/LTE is not widely available yet.

If you are staying in greater Windhoek, coverage should not be a problem. When traveling between towns, you may only have 2G reception or nothing at all.

The average mobile download and upload speeds in Namibia is around 17 Mbps download and above 12 Mbps upload in August 2020, according to Speedtest by Ookla. This places Namibia outside of the top 100 countries with the fastest mobile data speeds..

However, Mobile data prices are reasonably priced for African standards.

The average cost of 1 GB of data in Namibia is 4.78 USD, according to Cable.co.uk. The Sub-Saharan average for 1 GB of data is 6.91 USD.

Currency in Namibia

Namibia uses the Namibian Dollar with the symbol NAD (which will be used throughout this article). Prices in Namibia are listed in N$ or ND. For example, 25 NAD is N$/ND 25. For reference, below are some exchange rates between NAD and USD (US Dollars – Rounded):

• 1 NAD = 0.055 USD
• 10 NAD = 0.55 USD
• 100 NAD = 5.45 USD
• 1000 NAD = 54.65 USD
• 10 000 NAD = 546.65 USD

For up-to-date NAD:USD exchange rates, search NAD to USD on Google, or replace USD with the currency you use.

Taxes in Namibia

Mobile data in Namibia are often not inclusive of the necessary 15% tax. When the tax is excluded from the price, an additional column of the price with tax (price * 1.15) is added throughout this guide for your convenience.

Namibian Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through MTC and TN Mobile and go through:

• Background information
• SIM card types, prices, and availability
• Recharge / top-up information
• Combo plans, data plans, and special packs (such as social media packs) 

If you prefer to watch a video of what the Namibian operators have to offer, be sure to check the video below AND also subscribe to my channel for more local prepaid SIM card guides, SIM card reviews (prepaid and international), mobile hotspots, and international roaming guides. You should still go through the guide after watching the video (I refer to it multiple times throughout the video).

With that being said, let’s see what MTC and TN Mobile have to offer to us.

MTC

MTC is the largest operator in Namibia, and they have the best coverage throughout the country. However, that is mainly referring to 2G, which is useless for modern data usage.

MTC Coverage

MTC’ 3G network covers all cities and most large towns in Namibia, while 4G/LTE can be found in a handful of cities and towns, such as:

SIM Card Price – MTC

You can buy an MTC SIM card, called Tango, for 6.99 NAD in MTC shops.

You can also buy an MTC SIM card Windhoek Airport (Hosea Kutako International Airport – WDH).

Recharging your MTC SIM Card

MTC recharge vouchers are sold in many retailers throughout Namibia.

To redeem an MTC recharge voucher, dial *13200*VoucherCode#. For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *13200*123456#.

Note that this recharging method has replaced the old process of calling 132.

To check your MTC balance, dial *682# and select option 2.

MTC Internet Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers

MTC has several plans including data, which are:

• Aweh (combo plans)
• Data Bundles with Validity (data-only)
• Other [Data Bundles] (data-only)
• TikTok Bundles (app-specific data-only add-ons)

Let’s go through each of them. Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

MTC Aweh

The Aweh plans are combo plans that come with data, social media data, minutes, and SMS.

Depending on the plan, social media data applies to WhatsApp only or WhatsApp and Facebook. WhatsApp calls do not fall under social media data and will be deducted from your regular data allowance.

You have the following five Aweh plans:

Price	Price with 15% TAX	Plan	Data	Social Media Data	Social Media Apps	Minutes	SMS	Validity	Activation SMS to 13400
7 NAD	8.05 NAD	Aweh Oka	20 MB	20 MB	WhatsApp	20 minutes	50 SMS	3 days	#OkaAweh#
13 NAD	14.95 NAD	Aweh Go	50 MB	50 MB	WhatsApp	50 minutes	150 SMS	7 days	#AwehGO#
32 NAD	36.80 NAD	Aweh Prime	200 MB	200 MB	WhatsApp	350 minutes	700 SMS	7 days	#Aweh#
32 NAD	36.80 NAD	Aweh Gig	1 GB	500 MB	WhatsApp	100 minutes	700 SMS	7 days	#AwehGig#
53 NAD	60.95 NAD	Aweh Super	3 GB*	700 MB	WhatsApp & Facebook	700 minutes	1500 SMS	7 days	#SuperAweh#

MTC Data Bundles with Validity

The Data Bundles with Validity are standard data-only bundles. All Data Bundles with Validity are valid for 60 days. Data Bundles with Validity can be purchased by dialing *682#.

The following Data Bundles with Validity can be purchased:

Price	Price with 15% Tax	Data
13 NAD	14.95 NAD	40 MB
20 NAD	23 NAD	80 MB
85 NAD	97.75 NAD	400 MB
139 NAD	159.85 NAD	800 MB
235 NAD	270.25 NAD	1.5 GB
353 NAD	405.95 NAD	3 GB
1069 NAD	1229.35 NAD	15 GB

MTC Other Data Bundles

The Other Data Bundles, which are literally called other data bundles, are data-only bundles valid for 120 days.

You have the following three options:

Price	Price with 15% Tax	Data	Activation SMS
16 NAD	18.40 NAD	60 MB	#N15-60mb# to 12515
25 NAD	28.75 NAD	100 MB	#N23-100mb# to 12516
38 NAD	43.70 NAD	200 MB	#N35-200mb# to 12517

MTC TikTok Bundles

The TikTok Bundles are data-only add-ons specifically for TikTok.

The following TikTok Bundles are available:

Price	Price with 15% Tax	Data	Validity
5 NAD	5.75 NAD	60 MB	End of day
20 NAD	23 NAD	100 MB	7 days
50 NAD	57.50 NAD	200 MB	30 days

MTC APN Settings

In most cases, your phone will retrieve the correct MTC APN settings automatically. If you need to enter it manually, then you need the following details (do not add anything not mentioned below):

• Name: MTC Namibia
• APN: internet

TN Mobile (Telecom Namibia)

TN Mobile by Telecom Namibia is the other operator in Namibia. Their coverage is worse than the one of MTC, but TN Mobile is generally cheaper than MTC.

TN Mobile Coverage

Below is the coverage map of TN Mobile. Just like MTC, all cities and large towns have mobile coverage (which could be 2G coverage).

SIM Card Price – TN Mobile

You can buy a TN Mobile SIM card for less than 10 NAD in TN Mobile stores.

Recharging Your TN Mobile SIM Card

TN Mobile recharge cards are widely available throughout Namibia, sold by many establishments. To top-up, you text the Voucher Code to 124.

For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would text 123456 to 124.

Send a blank SMS to 124 to check your TN Mobile balance. The same can be done by calling 139 or dialing *124#.

TN Mobile Internet Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers

TN Mobile has several combo plans and data-only plans, which are:

• Jiva Family (combo plans)
• Prepaid Data Bundles (data-only plans)
• Unlimited Prepaid Data (unlimited data-only plans)

Let’s go through each of them. Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

TN Mobile Jiva Family

The Jiva Family bundles are combo bundles with data, social media data, nighttime data, minutes, and SMS, which are all valid for 7 days.

It is unknown which apps fall under social media data. Nighttime data, referred to as Night Surfer, allows you to use “unlimited data” (90 GB) between 00:00-5:59 (12 AM-5:59 AM).

Below are the four Jiva bundles:

Price	Price with 15% tax	Data	Social Media Data	Night Surfer	Minutes	SMS
30 NAD	34.5 NAD	1.5 GB	None	No	130 minutes	700 SMS
35 NAD	40.25 NAD	2 GB	500 MB	No	130 minutes	700 SMS
40 NAD	46 NAD	2 GB	500 MB	Yes	200 minutes	1000 SMS
50 NAD	57.5 NAD	10 GB	2 GB	Yes	200 minutes	1000 SMS

TN Mobile Prepaid Data Bundles

The Prepaid Data Bundles are standard data-only bundles.

You have the following 12 options:

Price	Price with 15% Tax	Data	Activation
5 NAD	5.75 NAD	20 MB	*130*20#
10 NAD	11.5 NAD	40 MB	*130*40#
15 NAD	17.25 NAD	60 MB	*130*60#
23 NAD	26.45 NAD	100 MB	*130*100#
35 NAD	40.25 NAD	300 MB	*130*300#
99 NAD	113.85 NAD	600 MB	*130*600#
139 NAD	159.85 NAD	1 GB	*130*1000#
199 NAD	228.85 NAD	2 GB	*130*2000#
399 NAD	458.85 NAD	5 GB	*130*5000#
849 NAD	976.35 NAD	10 GB	*130*10000#
1049 NAD	1206.35 NAD	20 GB	*130*20000#
1599 NAD	1838.85 NAD	40 GB	*130*40000#
1999 NAD	2298.85 NAD	50 GB	*130*50000#
3299 NAD	3793.85 NAD	100 GB	*130*100000#

TN Mobile Unlimited Prepaid Data

The Unlimited Prepaid Data bundles are data bundles that come with unlimited data for a day, week, or month.

The following options are available:

Price	Price with 15% Tax	Validity	Activation
49 NAD	56.35 NAD	1 day	*130*49#
299 NAD	343.85 NAD	7 days	*130*299#
999 NAD	1148.85 NAD	30 days	*130*998#

TN Mobile APN Settings

In most cases, your phone will retrieve the correct TN Mobile APN settings automatically. If you need to enter it manually, then you need the following details (do not add anything not mentioned below):

• Name: TN Mobile
• APN: internet

The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Namibia

Getting a SIM card from MTC (best coverage) or TN Mobile (cheapest option) would do you well considering a Namibian SIM card.