The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) has signed strategic partnerships with China’s Nanjing Zhongxing Xinyada Information Technology Co. Ltd and South Africa’s Orbit TVET College to strengthen technical and vocational education through artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, digital innovation and advanced skills development.
The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed in Windhoek on Monday, are aimed at expanding cooperation in information and communication technology (ICT), curriculum development, research, technology transfer, trainer and student exchanges, and institutional capacity building.
NTA Chief Executive Officer Erick Fundula Nenghwanya said the agreements mark a significant step towards equipping Namibia’s workforce with the skills needed for an increasingly digital economy.
He said rapid advances in AI, automation, robotics, advanced manufacturing and smart technologies are transforming industries globally, requiring Namibia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system to adapt to changing labour market demands.
“The question before us is therefore not whether TVET should change, but whether it can change quickly enough to prepare our young people for opportunities that are already emerging,” Nenghwanya said.
Under the partnership with Nanjing Zhongxing Xinyada, the NTA will collaborate on curriculum development, applied research, technology transfer, digital learning and the establishment of smart skills centres specialising in AI, robotics and digital technologies.
Xinyada President Zeng Botao said the accelerating global digital transformation has increased demand for skilled ICT professionals, making talent development central to economic growth.
Founded in 2017, the company specialises in ICT research and development, communication engineering and system integration, and holds 52 software copyrights and trademarks as well as several patents.
Zeng said the company intends to help Namibia build a pipeline of local ICT professionals through jointly developed training standards, shared curricula and practical digital skills programmes.
“We highly recognise NTA’s devotion to national skills development. Namibia is striving to narrow the digital divide and develop its ICT industry, which requires large numbers of local young ICT talents. This matches our corporate vision: we aim to turn our global industrial experience and training resources into local talent-driving power,” he said.
The cooperation will focus on three priority areas: developing ICT training standards aligned with Namibia’s labour market, introducing shared curricula covering AI, information technology fundamentals and practical Chinese-language instruction, and establishing a hybrid skills training platform combining online learning with face-to-face instruction.
“Namibia’s future lies in its youth. With joint efforts, we can create more learning opportunities for Namibian young people, empower them with practical skills to realise their dreams and serve the nation, and fuel Namibia’s socio-economic development,” Zeng said.
The agreement with South Africa’s Orbit TVET College will focus on institutional collaboration, knowledge exchange and strengthening vocational education across the region.
Nenghwanya said the partnership complements the NTA’s Nakayale-Eenhana-Valombola (NEV) TVET Hub, which integrates three public vocational training centres to improve efficiency, reduce duplication and develop centres of excellence in ICT, electronics, electrical engineering, automotive mechatronics and civil engineering.
He said the collaborative model enables institutions to specialise while sharing expertise and resources to improve programme quality and institutional capacity.
“Behind every successful economy stands a skilled workforce,” Nenghwanya said.
He added that the NEV TVET Hub will serve as a strategic platform for expanding innovation, strengthening institutional collaboration and preparing Namibians for careers in emerging technologies and advanced industries.
