Namibia Qualifications Authority

What Namibia Qualifications Authority does

The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) is a public enterprise established in 1996 under the NQA Act 29 of 1996 and operating under the supervision of Namibia's Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation. It is the sole statutory body responsible for accrediting education and training providers, evaluating qualifications obtained domestically or abroad, and administering Namibia's ten-level National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and its associated credit system. As of late February 2026, NQA had accredited 85 institutions and 1,147 qualifications, and had processed more than 23,658 evaluations over its operating history.

NQA's core service portfolio comprises three interconnected offerings: (1) accreditation services, involving desk evaluation, site visits, and Council decisions on whether providers and their courses meet acceptable quality standards for periods of up to three years; (2) qualification evaluation services that confirm the legality, validity, and NQF alignment of qualifications for employment, further study, and professional recognition; and (3) NQF management as a comprehensive register of legal qualifications in Namibia. In March 2026, NQA launched the Automated Qualifications Evaluation System — a Microsoft-based digital platform accessible via online.namqa.org that supports real-time document uploads, application tracking, automated email and SMS notifications, and digitally signed QR-coded evaluation certificates for fraud prevention. The platform was developed in partnership with Green Enterprise Solutions and is part of NQA's 2023–2028 Integrated Strategic Plan to automate core business processes. Adjacent services include advisory services with a 7-day turnaround, an appeals process, and a whistleblower hotline.

NQA's customer base spans Namibian educational institutions and training providers seeking accreditation, individual qualification holders requiring evaluation for employment or further study, employers and higher education institutions verifying credentials, and regional/international quality assurance bodies collaborating through formal MoUs. The business model combines government subvention from the parent ministry with service-based evaluation fees on a pay-as-you-go basis (normal applications: 30 working days; urgent: 15 working days). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. NQA serves clients through its Windhoek headquarters, the online portal, and postal/courier channels, and operates across 11–50 employees.

Name

Namibia Qualifications Authority

Legal name

Namibia Qualifications Authority

Website

https://namqa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Namibia Qualifications Authority is a statutory public enterprise established in 1996 that accredits training providers, evaluates qualifications, and manages Namibia's National Qualifications Framework for institutions, qualification holders, employers, and regional quality assurance bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Quality Assurance and Qualifications Regulation

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Qualifications Framework Authorities (NQF/Skills Framework) (EDADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks (BPADAKAL), Qualifications & Credit Framework Authorities (EDADAEAD), Digital Assessment Platforms & Computer-Based Testing Authorities (EDADAFAK), Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG)

Keywords

• Qualifications framework administration
• Higher education accreditation
• Foreign credential evaluation
• Education quality assurance
• National qualifications register

Headquarters

HQ city

Windhoek

HQ country

Namibia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a public enterprise, NQA receives government funding to support its statutory functions including accreditation of training providers, evaluation of qualifications, and managing the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) of Namibia.
2. Evaluation Fees: Fees charged for evaluation of qualifications, processing of applications, and issuance of evaluation reports. The organization maintains a fees and payments section indicating service-based charging.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Namibia Qualifications Authority accredits persons, institutions, and organisations delivering education and training in Namibia; evaluates qualifications (including foreign and pre-NQF qualifications) to confirm authenticity, validity, and NQF alignment; and administers the ten-level National Qualifications Framework (NQF) as the central register of legal qualifications in Namibia. Services are delivered through its Windhoek office, its online portal (online.namqa.org), and postal channels, with a 2023-2028 digital transformation introducing automated online evaluation, real-time tracking, and QR-coded certificates.

Product overview

The Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) operates as a public enterprise responsible for quality assurance in higher education and training in Namibia. Its product and service portfolio centers on three interconnected core offerings: (1) an online digital evaluation system (NQA Online Services Portal at online.namqa.org) that automates qualification assessment requests with real-time tracking and QR-coded certificates for fraud prevention; (2) accreditation services for persons, institutions, and organizations delivering education and training; and (3) the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), a ten-level qualifications registry with an associated credit system. These services are supplemented by advisory services, a whistleblower hotline, and appeals processes. The NQA's digital transformation, outlined in its 2023–2028 strategic plan, involves migrating core business processes—including evaluation, accreditation, and qualification management—onto automated digital platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NQA Online Services Portal Digital portal (online.namqa.org) enabling applicants to submit qualification evaluation requests, lodge appeals, and request duplicate evaluation certificates online, replacing manual paper-based processes. Available to Namibian and international qualification holders as well as institutions.
• Qualification Evaluation Service Statutory service that determines the significance of qualifications not registered on the National Qualifications Framework of Namibia, confirming legality, validity, and credibility, and aligning them to NQF levels for academic, career, and professional recognition. Targets individual qualification holders and institutions requiring credential verification.
• Accreditation Services Statutory service that evaluates applications from persons, institutions, and organisations seeking accreditation, involving desk evaluation, site visits, and Council decisions. Accreditation confirms that education providers and their courses meet acceptable quality standards for up to three years.
• National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Management Administration of the NQF as a comprehensive register of all relevant and legal qualifications in Namibia, covering ten levels representing different learning complexities, with associated credit systems to facilitate credit transfer and progression pathways.
• Advisory Services Career advisory services helping prospective learners verify accreditation status of local and foreign institutions and qualifications, with a 7-day turnaround. Targets individuals considering study or employment decisions requiring credential verification.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green Enterprise SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 27 March 2026Technology partnership for the launch and implementation of the automated qualifications evaluation system. Built on Microsoft infrastructure with digital document management and fraud prevention capabilities.
• Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal MoU for strengthening information sharing about providers and courses, building and sharing staff skills and expertise in quality assurance, and facilitating research on qualification and quality assurance matters of shared interest.
• Tertiary Education Council of Botswana (TEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal agreement for collaboration in quality assurance, qualification recognition, and staff development in higher education quality assurance.
• Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational MoU supporting cross-border qualification recognition, quality assurance best practices exchange, and staff expertise development.
• Council on Higher Education (CHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement for harmonizing higher education quality assurance standards and qualification frameworks.
• South Africa Qualification Authority (SAQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for qualification recognition within SADC, facilitating cross-border credential evaluation and quality assurance alignment.
• Mauritius Qualification AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner for qualification framework alignment and quality assurance cooperation.
• Programme Management Unit of Namibia Training Authority (PMU-NTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agreement recognizing PMU-NTA responsibility for coordinating competency standards and national curriculum modules for vocational trades up to NQF Level 5. Joint accreditation of vocational training providers.
• Roads Authority of NamibiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement for qualifications and training concerning roads construction and maintenance across all levels of the NQF.
• SADC Technical Committee on Certification and AccreditationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNQA represents Namibia's membership on this committee overseeing progress towards the Regional Qualification Framework for SADC. Committee establishes common principles for qualification evaluation and strengthens quality assurance systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Council on Higher Education (CHE), South Africa: CHE is responsible for higher education quality assurance in South Africa, harmonizing standards and overseeing qualification frameworks. NQA holds an MoU with CHE, and both bodies operate similar accreditation, evaluation, and quality oversight functions within SADC.
• South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA): SAQA is the statutory qualifications authority for South Africa, with the closest functional mandate to NQA: it administers the NQF, evaluates foreign qualifications, and accredits providers. SAQA is a formal SADC partner of NQA per the MoU list, making it the most directly comparable peer in the SADC region.
• Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA): MQA is the Mauritius national qualifications and quality assurance authority with cross-border recognition responsibilities. NQA explicitly lists it as a strategic MoU partner; both entities perform credit framework administration and credential evaluation for their respective jurisdictions.
• Tertiary Education Council (TEC), Botswana: TEC is the Botswana counterpart focused on tertiary education regulation. It shares NQA's mandate of quality assurance, qualification recognition and staff development in higher education and is a formal MoU partner of NQA.
• Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA): BQA is the Namibian counterpart in Botswana, with parallel responsibilities for quality assurance, accreditation, and NQF-related credential evaluation. It holds a formal MoU with NQA and operates in an analogous government-public-enterprise model, making it a tight peer.

Broad incumbents

• Ofqual (UK): Ofqual is the UK's larger, well-established qualifications regulator overseeing examinations and standards. It is comparable as a higher-maturity reference point for NQA's core assessment, examination oversight and standards-setting functions.
• Australian Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA): TEQSA is Australia's national higher education quality and regulatory agency, registering providers and accrediting programmes. It is comparable to NQA as an independent government regulator of tertiary education quality and provider accreditation.
• New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA): NZQA administers New Zealand's NQF, credentials and quality assurance across a single national jurisdiction - the closest mature, English-language, single-country analogue to NQA's operating model.

Emerging players

• Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA): MQA is an international peer and formal MoU partner focused on cross-border qualification recognition and quality assurance. While operating in a different geography, it is comparable in scope to NQA's accreditation and quality assurance functions.

Regional players

• Namibia Training Authority (NTA) / PMU-NTA: NTA's Programme Management Unit (PMU-NTA) coordinates competency standards for vocational trades up to NQF Level 5 and is a joint accreditation partner with NQA. It is a domestic adjacent regulator covering the VET/skills segment that overlaps with NQA's accreditation mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NqaNamibia
• Facebookfacebook.com/NQANamibia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/namibia-qualifications-authority-nqa
• Instagraminstagram.com/nqa1996

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Namibia Qualifications Authority