Namibia University of Science and Technology

What Namibia University of Science and Technology does

Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) is a public university headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia, formed through the 2015 transformation of the Polytechnic of Namibia. It serves 22,718 enrolled students (the highest in its history) across four faculties — Computing and Informatics; Commerce, Human Sciences and Education; Engineering and the Built Environment; and Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences — delivered through four campuses and ten regional centres nationwide.

Its core technology and applied research assets include four UNESCO Chairs, a Satellite Data Receiving Ground Station, the NUST-SEED Living Lab for off-grid renewable energy research, a Fabrication Laboratory, and the High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) ecosystem hosting Bloomberg Finance Lab, Samsung, Huawei Academy, Namibia's first Science and Technology Park in Lüderitz, and the Bank of Namibia-sponsored AI and Robotics Accelerator. Sub-brands include the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business (HP-GSB), the NUST Hotel School, the Agricultural Trade Policy Institute (ATPI), and the Cooperative Education Unit.

NUST's revenue model combines annual tuition fees, Namibian government funding, research grants (over N$1 billion secured over five years from donors and agencies including GIZ, JICA, and German Development Cooperation), and industry partnerships/professional training (SAP Academy, Bloomberg, OTESA, MTC/Huawei). Distribution runs through direct on-campus education, a self-serve online application portal (myNUST), and international student recruitment across 39 countries, with strategic expansion into new product lines (SAP certification, Digital Arts and Animation) and new geographies (China via Hainan University, UK via University of Warwick).

Name

Namibia University of Science and Technology

Legal name

Namibia University of Science and Technology

Website

https://nust.na

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NUST is Namibia's public science and technology university, serving 22,718 students across four campuses and ten regional centres with undergraduate, postgraduate, and applied research programmes funded by tuition, government subsidy, and over N$1 billion in research grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Technical Universities (EDAHAEAD), Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE), Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programmes
• Applied scientific research
• Professional training courses
• Postgraduate education programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Windhoek

HQ country

Namibia

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and postgraduate programme tuition fees, including annual fees per student
2. Government Funding: Public funding from Namibian government for higher education operations
3. Research Grants and Funding: Over N$1 billion in research funding secured over five years from various donors and agencies
4. Industry Partnerships and Short Programmes: Revenue from corporate partnerships, SAP Academy, Bloomberg Finance Lab, and professional training programmes

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NUST delivers higher education across four faculties through undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes (Honours, Master's, PhD), supplemented by short learning programmes, professional certifications (SAP, Bloomberg, CCNA), and applied research. The university operates specialised sub-brands including the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business, NUST Hotel School, Agricultural Trade Policy Institute, Cooperative Education Unit, UNESCO Chairs, NUST-SEED Living Lab, FabLab, and the High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select tech ecosystem hosting industry partners.

Product overview

Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) is a multi-faculty higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional programmes across four faculties: Computing and Informatics; Commerce, Human Sciences and Education; Engineering and the Built Environment; and Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences. The university operates as a platform-plus-institutes model, combining core academic programmes with specialized sub-brands including the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business (HP-GSB), the NUST Hotel School, the UNESCO Chairs Programme, the NUST-SEED Living Lab, the Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab), the High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) tech ecosystem, the Agricultural Trade Policy Institute (ATPI), the Cooperative Education Unit (CEU), and the Writing Unit. NUST also operates satellite campuses in Lüderitz, Eenhana, and Rietfontein alongside 10 regional centres, and hosts the SAP Education and Training Academy, Bloomberg Finance Lab, and an AI and Robotics Accelerator within its HTTPS ecosystem. The institution focuses on applied research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, supported by UNESCO Chairs, industry partnerships (Huawei, VEYA/SAP, Bloomberg), and community-oriented initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NUST Undergraduate Programmes A wide range of undergraduate programmes fit for today's knowledge-based work environment, spanning four faculties: Computing and Informatics; Commerce, Human Sciences and Education; Engineering and the Built Environment; and Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences.
• NUST Postgraduate Programmes Postgraduate programmes designed for professionals who wish to take their career to the next level, including Master's, Honours, and PhD degrees across all four faculties.
• Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business (HP-GSB) NUST's graduate school of business, houses the SAP Education and Training Academy and ICT Training and Certification Unit, offering executive education and business programmes.
• NUST Hotel School A hospitality-focused school under NUST offering programmes and training in hospitality management, tourism, and culinary arts, with pathways to Europe for graduates.
• UNESCO Chairs Programme NUST hosts four UNESCO Chairs focusing on Sustainable Water Research for Climate Adaptation and Saline Agriculture in Arid Environments; Gender and Digital Technologies; Secure High-Performance Computing for Higher Education and Research; and Digital Technology Design with Indigenous People.
• NUST-SEED Living Lab Hands-on research and innovation hub for renewable energy solutions in Groot Aub, established with Technical University of Munich, featuring a 20 kWp off-grid solar PV plant with 20 kWh lithium-ion battery storage.
• NUST Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) Digital fabrication laboratory offering maker spaces for students and researchers to prototype and develop innovative solutions.
• High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) Ecosystem home to global tech giants including Huawei Academy, Samsung, and Bloomberg Finance Lab; hosts Namibia's first Science and Technology Park in Lüderitz and the AI and Robotics Accelerator laboratory sponsored by the Bank of Namibia.
• Cooperative Education Unit (CEU) Award-winning unit that facilitates internship placements and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for students across all faculties, connecting students with industry partners for practical experience.
• Agricultural Trade Policy Institute (ATPI) Institute at NUST collaborating with the German Development Cooperation's ECAP Project to improve trade, agriculture, and food policy information and facilitate exchange for sustainable agri-food sector development. Offers research, training, and publications on agricultural trade policy.
• NUST Satellite Campuses and Regional Centres NUST operates four campuses (Windhoek, Lüderitz, Eenhana, Rietfontein) and 10 regional centres nationwide, expanding access to higher education across Namibia.
• SAP Education and Training Academy SAP training and certification programmes launched by HPGSB in partnership with VEYA ICT, offering world-class training and certification in data analytics, business processes, and systems management under the HPGSB ICT Training and Certification Unit, positioning Namibia as a regional hub for SAP education.
• Bloomberg Finance Lab Bloomberg Finance Lab operating under NUST's High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) ecosystem, supporting financial literacy training and education technology.
• Namibia Science and Technology Park (Lüderitz) Namibia's first Science and Technology Park, located in Lüderitz, operating under the High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) ecosystem at NUST.
• AI and Robotics Accelerator Laboratory Namibia's first Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Accelerator laboratory, sponsored by the Bank of Namibia, operating under NUST's High-Tech Transfer Plaza Select (HTTPS) ecosystem.
• NUST FM Radio The university's campus radio station, serving as a student resource and community broadcast platform.
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Training Cisco CCNA classes covering networking fundamentals, with classes starting 03 August 2026 at a cost of N$500 per course (CCNA1-3).
• Agricultural Trade and Policy Training and Exchange Programme Professional training programme under ATPI covering agricultural trade and policy, with modules including TRALAC training, international trade training, and related exchange programmes for professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Threefold increase in research output since 2015
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Southern African Customs Union (SACU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026NUST and SACU engaged in strategic discussions to advance regional integration and skills development. Executive Dean of Faculty of Commerce, Human Sciences and Education hosted engagement with SACU Executive Secretary Dumisani Masilela to explore partnership opportunities.
• OTESA Civil EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 3 March 2026MoA signed to expand Work Integrated Learning and structured internship opportunities across civil engineering, project management, quantity surveying, health and safety, finance, procurement, and human resources disciplines.
• Hainan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MoU signed with Hainan University as part of NUST's admission to the League of Tropical Universities (LTU).
• VEYA ICTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025HPGSB partnered with VEYA ICT to launch SAP Education and Training Academy in Namibia, offering world-class training and certification in data analytics, business processes, and systems management.
• United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025NUST admitted to UN-GGIM Academic Network, becoming second institution in SADC (after University of Pretoria) for advancing research and education in geospatial science.
• University of WarwickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025NUST in discussions with University of Warwick (UK) to establish strategic partnership including joint faculty research initiatives, curriculum development, dual-degree programmes in Business, Engineering, Computer Science and Environmental Sciences, and innovation/entrepreneurship hub establishment.
• Nurture Higher Education Group (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025MoU signed to support NUST's internationalisation strategy through Global Academy Partnership Model, student and faculty development opportunities, and academic collaborations.
• Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Collaboration agreement signed with FITA in Malta to enhance digital accessibility and develop innovative solutions supporting less abled students.
• Outapi Town CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024MoU signed at Olufuko Annual Cultural Festival 2024 to promote cultural exchange, educational collaboration, technical support, student internships, work-integrated learning, and joint research projects.
• Namib MillsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner of Agricultural Trade Policy Institute (ATPI) for agricultural trade policy research collaboration.
• Namibia Statistics AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner of ATPI providing statistical data support for agricultural policy research.
• Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner from South Africa collaborating with ATPI on food and agricultural policy research.
• Trade Law Centre (tralac)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner providing trade law expertise and training for ATPI programmes.
• University of BONNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partner collaborating with ATPI on agricultural policy research.
• University of HohenheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman university partner providing expertise for ATPI research on agricultural trade policy.
• Growth Diagnostics (North-West University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated entity of North-West University Business School partnering with ATPI for growth diagnostics training.
• Technical University of Munich (TUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through SEED Centre to establish NUST-SEED Living Lab for sustainable energy and entrepreneurship development. Includes international backing from DAAD and collaborations with nine global partner universities.
• MTC and HuaweicoreTechnology or IntegrationSmart Campus Initiative partnership integrating Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies into curriculum, enhancing e-learning platforms, and fostering research in cybersecurity and cloud computing.
• Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHENSA partners with MIT J-WEL to provide NUST staff access to cutting-edge educational practices and institutional transformation programmes.
• Finnish Universities (Turku University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, University of Turku)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Solutions.Now course for NUST postgraduate students in sustainability education collaboration.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Makerere University: East Africa's premier research university with comparable scale (~35,000 students) and a long history of international donor-funded research partnerships. Useful benchmark for African university growth, research funding diversification, and THE Impact Rankings performance.
• University of Cape Town: Africa's highest-ranked research university with deep STEM research capacity and THE Impact Rankings presence. Sets the competitive ceiling for SADC technical universities and is a key destination for NUST graduates pursuing postgraduate study.
• University of Pretoria: Larger, established South African research university with comparable STEM faculties and a much deeper research base. Direct SADC competitor for postgraduate students, faculty recruitment, and donor research funding; also a peer in the UN-GGIM Academic Network.
• Stellenbosch University: Established South African research university with strong STEM faculties and significant research commercialisation activity. Comparable in research intensity and a competitor for international student recruitment and postgraduate talent in the SADC region.

Direct peers

• Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST): A SADC-based STEM-focused technical university launched around the same era as NUST. Highly comparable in mission (science/technology focus), geography (small African economy), and stage (recently established full university), competing for similar regional talent and donor funding pools.
• Tshwane University of Technology: South African technical university with a similar polytechnic heritage, STEM programme breadth, and applied research mandate. Member of THENSA alongside NUST, sharing technology-focused curriculum design and cooperative education models.
• Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT): South African university of technology with similar polytechnic roots, Work Integrated Learning emphasis, and applied sciences focus. THENSA member alongside NUST, sharing similar student demographics and cooperative education models.
• Namibia University of Applied Sciences and Technology (formerly Polytechnic of Namibia predecessors): NUST itself is the institutional successor to the Polytechnic of Namibia, making the predecessor institution and similar regional technical universities the closest functional peers in mission, programme structure, and stage of development.
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST): Ghana's leading science and technology university with similar mission focus and a comparable track record of research output growth, international partnerships, and a science park. Useful benchmark for trajectory of an African STEM-focused technical university.

Emerging players

• African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS): Pan-African network of centres of excellence for postgraduate training in mathematical sciences, including centres in South Africa. Comparable in research output growth, industry partnerships, and donor-funded model targeting STEM postgraduate talent across Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nust_na
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nust-namibia
• Instagraminstagram.com/nust_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Namibia University of Science and Technology