New app for better service in Windhoek
Future updates are expected to include features such as purchasing prepaid products on credit to ensure no resident is left out.
The City of Windhoek launched a new mobile app and a revamped website to improve service delivery to its 486 000 residents. The launch also featured the 2022-2027 strategic plan and last year's financial results.Developed in-house, the app offers numerous features for managing municipal accounts, accessing account statements, reporting incidents such as potholes and burst pipes, submitting meter readings and checking traffic fines.
Information and Communication Technology Officer Fillemon Neputa stressed the importance of the app for accessibility and customer service in Windhoek.
Although the city faces financial challenges with debts of N$1.2 billion from the previous year, including N$500 million in uncollectible debt, the app aims to provide access to essential services to all residents. Future updates are expected to include features such as purchasing prepaid products on credit to ensure no resident is left out.
Sam Nujoma, member of the City of Windhoek Administrative Committee, also highlighted the expanded capabilities of the app. “The City App will soon also enable account payments and the sale of prepaid water and electricity tokens, as well as the sale of prepaid products on credit for customers who cannot afford electricity or water units when they are short of cash. I encourage our residents to download and use the app for various services.”
Fibre network
In addition to the app launch, the event saw the activation of the city’s business unit responsible for the commercialization of the city’s fibre optic network, City Link. The first customer, Lightsruck Operating Company, is already using the fibre optic network.
“As part of our new strategic plan (2022-2027), the City of Windhoek intends to optimise the overall capacity of the approximately 120 km of under-utilized fibre optic network through commercialisation. The commercialisation of the fibre optic network presents a significant business opportunity that has the potential to generate a much-needed revenue stream for the city,” Nujoma said.
This strategic initiative aims to improve the operational efficiency of the council, expand service delivery and bridge the digital divide through increased access to affordable internet connectivity. This measure is expected to support entrepreneurs and the youth in their academic endeavours and promote the economic development of the city.