In a groundbreaking move that has sent shockwaves through southern Africa, Namibia’s first female President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, announced that university education will be free at all public institutions starting from 2026.

Delivering her maiden State of the Nation Address on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah declared that registration and tuition fees at public universities and technical colleges will be completely scrapped, fulfilling a long-standing dream for thousands of Namibian students.

“We have heard your cries: ‘The Fees Have Fallen,’” the President said, evoking the historic student protests that swept across Namibia and neighboring South Africa over the past decade.

The President explained that the initiative will be funded through the existing subsidies allocated to public universities and the student financial assistance programme, stressing that there would be no significant new funding added to the education budget.

However, she clarified that families and students would still be responsible for accommodation and other related costs, as the government phases in the program gradually.

While student groups like the Affirmative Repositioning Student Command (ARSC) welcomed the announcement with cautious optimism, others slammed it as “vague and unrealistic,” accusing the government of lacking a concrete plan to make the ambitious promise a reality.

“There is no plan; it is just a confused announcement which raises the question of what the President means by tertiary education,” ARSC stated.

Economists also voiced concerns about the feasibility of the project. Tannen Groenewald, a leading Namibian economist, warned that without extra financial support, universities may be forced to cap student numbers, restricting free education only to a limited group, mainly low-income families a fate similar to South Africa’s experience post-#FeesMustFall.

Currently, Namibia already offers free primary and secondary education in public schools, and this new promise, if fulfilled, could make Namibia one of the few African nations offering free education from grade school to university.

Whether this bold pledge will transform into a sustainable reality remains to be seen but for now, hope echoes across Namibia’s campuses.