Namibia Power Corporation (Pty) Ltd.

NamPower, Namibia’s national power utility, was born out of the then South West Africa Water and Electricity Corporation (SWAWEK). SWAWEK was formed on 19 December 1964 as a private and fully affiliated company of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of the Republic of South Africa.

Key to SWAWEK’s success was the effective development of the hydropower station – the Ruacana Scheme – and the establishment of a transmission system for the distribution of electricity through the country’s central districts to Windhoek. Throughout its 32-year history, SWAWEK made a valuable contribution to the country’s economic development. By the early 1980s, the network covered most regions and eventually in 1978, the Ruacana Scheme was energized, with a capacity of 240 MW.