08 Jun 2026

One of the most significant utility projects that successfully took place across Namibia was the nationwide TID rollover programme for prepaid electricity and water meters. While many consumers may not have been familiar with the term “TID rollover”, the project played a critical role in ensuring the continued functionality of prepaid metering systems across the country.

For engineering and utility teams, the rollout represented far more than a technical upgrade. It was a large-scale operational effort involving engineering expertise, project management, logistics, customer engagement, and coordination across multiple regions and stakeholders.

At EMCON, the TID rollout project became one of the key initiatives keeping teams actively engaged, supporting multiple licensees with the successful implementation of the new STS-compliant metering requirements before the national deadline on 24 November 2024.

Understanding the TID Rollover

The TID rollover affected prepaid electricity and water meters that operated using the Standard Transfer Specification (STS) system. These meters contained a built-in time-based security mechanism that eventually reached its limit.

A useful comparison was the Y2K transition many people remembered from the year 2000, when there were widespread concerns that computer systems would reset or malfunction due to date limitations. The TID rollover presented a similar type of challenge for prepaid metering systems.

If metres had not been updated before 24 November 2024, newly purchased prepaid tokens would not work.

This meant every affected prepaid meter had to be updated and reset before the deadline to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

Supporting Utilities Across Namibia

As part of the nationwide rollout, EMCON has been working with several licensees and utility providers across Namibia to assist with meter updates and compliance implementation, through both direct appointments and sub-contracting roles:

• EMCON was appointed directly for Oshakati Premier Electric & ErongoRed.
• EMCON was appointed as a sub-contractor for Netvend for NamPower, Leonardville areas, and Rehoboth.

The scale of the rollout required careful coordination, extensive fieldwork, and efficient resource deployment to meet strict project timelines.

Engineering Beyond the Technical Scope

One of the most interesting aspects of the TID rollout project was that it extended far beyond traditional engineering work.

To support the rollout process, teams of electrical engineering students, graduates, and technical personnel were deployed to physically visit homes and properties to reset prepaid meters and ensure compliance with the updated system requirements.

In many cases, the project also involved collecting additional information regarding customer data, meter conditions, and system performance. This allowed utility providers to gain further insight into the status of their infrastructure while the rollout took place.

The project therefore became a combination of technical implementation, field coordination, customer interaction, and data collection on a national scale.

The Importance of Project Management

While the technical engineering component remained essential, large-scale projects such as the TID rollover also highlighted the importance of strong project management and communication skills.

Managing multiple teams across different towns and regions required constant coordination, progress tracking, scheduling, and resource allocation. Teams ensured that deadlines were met while maintaining accuracy, efficiency, and positive customer engagement throughout the process.

The success of a project like this depended not only on technical expertise but also on leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and effective communication between stakeholders.

For many engineers and project teams involved, the rollout provided valuable experience that combined both technical and operational aspects of infrastructure delivery.

Preventing Service Disruptions

The urgency of the TID rollover project could not be overstated. Because the necessary updates were completed before the November deadline, affected prepaid meters were prevented from resetting, which would have caused newly purchased tokens to be rejected but preserved current credit balances.

This made the rollout one of the most time-sensitive utility projects completed in the region.

By supporting licensees with planning, deployment, technical implementation, and customer engagement, EMCON helped ensure that communities and businesses could continue accessing essential utility services without interruption.

Engineering That Supports Communities

Infrastructure projects often focus on large-scale systems and technical performance, but the TID rollout also demonstrated the direct impact engineering had on everyday life.

Every successfully updated meter represented a household, business, or community that could continue accessing reliable electricity and water services without disruption.

For EMCON, the project reflected the broader value of multidisciplinary engineering and project management. It showcased how technical expertise, strategic coordination, and people-focused implementation came together to support national infrastructure goals while delivering practical benefits to communities across Namibia.

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