TransNamib is the state-owned railway company in Namibia. It has operated the country's rail network since the country's independence. For a long time, its service included not only rail, but also road transport and port services, and aimed to provide a complete range of national logistics services.
TransNamib's predecessor organizations were formed during the time of German South West Africa from 1895 onwards.
Since July 1, 1993, the company has also operated the TransNamib Museum in Windhoek.
In September 2014, TransNamib announced a turnaround strategy to offset the immense losses. As part of this, it was announced at the beginning of 2015 that 1,000 of the 1,600 employees would be laid off, which was firmly rejected by the union. In September 2021, the layoff of an initial 340 employees was announced.
In April 2019, a new five-year plan including a new external appearance was presented. In addition, the company will now concentrate only on freight and passenger transport by rail and will no longer act as an all-encompassing logistics company.
On March 30, 2022, the Namibian Development Bank (DBN) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa announced a loan of 2.6 billion Namibian dollars to modernize the company's assets. In July 2024, it was confirmed that all conditions for the loan had been met. The money will be used to purchase new locomotives, repair the fleet and modernize workshops and signaling systems. The procurement of the new locomotives is expected to take two years. The loan is expected to be repaid within five years through reduced operating costs and increased revenue.