Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA’s Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing cross-border connectivity and collaboration between the two nations.
The partnership was formalised in Gaborone this week.
A statement issued by MTC after the signing ceremony says that the MOU represents a shared vision for regional digital infrastructure transformation and is vital to trade facilitation, driving industrialisation and overall socio-economic development between the two countries and the SADC region at large.
Through the agreement, the two parties will establish a structured framework for cross-border fibre interconnection, capacity exchange and IP transit collaboration between Namibia and Botswana. Furthermore, it will support the critical route (Buitepos–Ngoma corridor) to enhance resilience and optimise latency across both nations’ digital networks.
“The agreement aligns with one of MTC’s strategic pillars that prioritises regional connectivity expansion and the development of a robust digital corridor,” said MTC’s Managing Director, Licky Erastus, adding that the partnership provides the framework guiding MTC’s transformation.
Said Erastus: “It aligns with our strategic pillar of expanding our core and building the future through digital infrastructure leadership and ecosystem partnerships, specifically under regional connectivity, international wholesale growth and digital corridor development. The Buitepos–Ngoma corridor is not a mere physical interconnect point. It is a route key to our international expansion strategy, providing an operational entry point into the Botswana wholesale ecosystem while reinforcing Namibia’s position as a transit and digital gateway market.”
Erastus noted that the partnership not only lays the foundation for technical collaboration, but also supports seamless economic integration and signifies deep trust and mutual ambition between the two organisations and countries.
BoFiNet’s acting CEO, Keabetswe Segole, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to deepening practical, infrastructure-led collaboration between Botswana and Namibia, emphasising that the partnership must move beyond formal agreements and translate into operational execution that removes bottlenecks, streamlines processes and accelerates cross-border interconnection.
