The greater use of mobile technology in everyday life has intensified questions regarding digital inclusivity, especially among older people living in remote areas. This investigation attempted to evaluate the level of mobile application usage by elderly people in the Windhoek Rural Constituency in Namibia. Regardless of the opportunities that mobile applications such as health care, banking services, telecommunication, and other critical services provide, a good number of elderly people still remain digitally excluded because of low digital literacy, physical or cognitive challenges, and the absence of application designs that are easy to use and a lack of user-friendly app designs tailored to their needs.

The qualitative research has adopted a phenomenological design to explain and analyze mobile application usage among the elderly. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of older people who are interested in mobile applications or have mobile application experience. The study has employed thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and challenges faced by participants. Identifying the mobile applications most contractively used by mobile users over sixty years old, as well as examining their effectiveness and the perceived impact of these applications on their quality of life, were the focus of key objectives.

Rooted in the person-centered theoretical framework, the study highlighted individual needs, desires, and experiences. Ethical aspects such as informed consent, anonymity, and voluntary involvement were rigorously maintained during the study.

Findings from this research were expected to provide valuable insights for app developers, social workers, policymakers, and other stakeholders on how to make mobile technologies more accessible and beneficial for the elderly in rural Namibia. Ultimately, the research seeks to close the digital gap and encourage technological inclusion for a frequently neglected demographic.

Diana Etuhole Iiyambo seasoned development practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working in rural development, disaster response and community mobilization.

Diana has a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management and  recently completed studying Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Honours at the University of Namibia with international experience from Hochschule Fulda University of Applied Sciences ( Germany). Her dissertation was entitled “Evaluation of the use of mobile Apps among the Elderly Persons in Windhoek Rural Constituency, Namibia.

She has been at the helm of a host of development and humanitarian programs in Namibia and is trained in psychosocial support, HIV/AIDS counselling and disaster risk reduction. She has worked extensively with the aging population and orphans and vulnerable children, providing psychosocial support and training them in creating memory boxes and hero books as tools for healing and legacy-building. Her work focuses on empowering vulnerable communities through policy development and locally driven solutions.