Blog

Nida leased land for N$1 a month …retailers owe up to N$15 million for fruit deliveries 

Nida leased land for N$1 a month …retailers owe up to N$15 million for fruit deliveries 

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibia Industrial Development Agency (Nida) has supplied fruits to retailers without receiving payment and leased state land for as little as N$1 per month.  The Windhoek Observer uncovered that internal documents and spoken sources point to weak governance and misuse of public assets meant to drive industrial growth. At the centre of the issue is Naute Farm in the south of the country, known for grape and date farming.  Sources told the Windhoek Observer that Nida has been supplying fruits to certain retailers for years without collecting payments.  Estimates place the outstanding debts from one arrangement between…
Read More
Alliance Media’s interest appeal against TransNamib crumbles 

Alliance Media’s interest appeal against TransNamib crumbles 

Allexer Namundjembo The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Alliance Media (Pty) Ltd against TransNamib Holdings Limited, ruling that the company’s claim for interest on money owed was made too early and had no legal grounds. The recent judgement followed a hearing held on June 11, 2025, before Supreme Court judges Sylvester Mainga, Elton Hoff and acting judge Rita Makarau. In 2013, a lease agreement gave Alliance Media exclusive rights to place outdoor advertisements on TransNamib premises.  The lease ran from 1 March 2013 to 29 February 2018 and an addendum later extended it to 28 February 2022. In…
Read More
Only two political parties witness ballot printing

Only two political parties witness ballot printing

Justicia Shipena The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) said that only two political parties observed the printing of ballot papers for the upcoming regional councils and local authorities elections set for 26 November 2025. ECN chief electoral and referenda officer Peter Shaama disclosed this during a media briefing at the ECN headquarters in Windhoek on Monday, following the official arrival of the ballot papers in the country. Shaama said the printing, packaging and sealing of the ballot papers took place under the supervision of two political parties and the Namibian Police before being transported to Namibia under secure conditions. Three…
Read More
MP says mental health bill neglects health workers

MP says mental health bill neglects health workers

Justicia Shipena Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Lilani Brinkman says the Mental Health Bill ignores the rights and dignity of mental health workers and home-based caregivers. She said the bill focuses on protecting patients but fails to consider the health workers and family members who look after people with mental illness. Brinkman said the bill does not include measures to improve the training, working conditions, or emotional support of caregivers, which she described as a serious weakness in the proposed law. Last month, health minister Esperance Luvindao tabled the Mental Health Bill in Parliament.  If passed, the…
Read More

Free education: A bold step, but responsibility must follow

The government has finally clarified what it means by “free education”. While the clarification may have disappointed some who expected full coverage of every education-related cost, from tuition to accommodation, transport, and registration, it deserves acknowledgement for its honesty and fiscal realism. In a time when public expectations often outpace the limits of public resources, this is a bold and mature move by the government. For years, “free education” has been a politically loaded term, used loosely and often misunderstood. Many citizens equated it with “everything free”, but in truth, no education system in the world is ever entirely free.…
Read More
Youth fund backs 42 startups

Youth fund backs 42 startups

Chamwe Kaira The National Youth Development Fund (NYDF), launched in September, has disbursed N$14.78 million to 42 startups, executive director in the Ministry of Finance Michael Humavindu has revealed. The fund is capitalised at N$500 million, with N$257 million available for the current financial year.  It is being implemented by the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), Agribank and the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) to close financing gaps for youth-led enterprises. Humavindu said that the NYDF's growth includes a way to lend money through Development Finance Institutions, a fund at the Bank of Namibia to keep it going long-term, and a…
Read More
Oceana expects up to 42% drop in annual earnings

Oceana expects up to 42% drop in annual earnings

Chamwe Kaira Oceana Group Limited has warned shareholders that its earnings for the year ended 30 September 2025 are expected to drop sharply, despite stronger catches late in the financial year. In a trading update released on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the Cape Town-based fishing and food processing company, which also operates in Namibia, said it now expects its basic earnings per share to range between 589 cents and 534 cents.  This reflects a decline of between 36% and 42% from the 920.9 cents reported in 2024. Headline earnings per share are forecast to fall within the same range,…
Read More
Pepkor Holdings’s revenues reach N$95.3 billion

Pepkor Holdings’s revenues reach N$95.3 billion

Chamwe Kaira  Pepkor Holdings Limited, which owns several Namibian retail brands, including PEP, Ackermans, Shoe City, Dunns, Tekkie Town, Refinery, Bradlows, Sleepmasters, Incredible Connection, HiFi Corp, and BUCO, has announced a 12% rise in revenue to N$95.3 billion for the year ended 30 September 2025. The group said its retail operations outperformed the broader market, driven by strong trading in a difficult economic environment. It noted that its business model, focused on meeting customer needs, continues to show resilience. Pepkor said it expanded its market share based on the latest available data. The company reported strong growth in fintech through…
Read More
Celsius continues divestment talks for Opuwo project

Celsius continues divestment talks for Opuwo project

Chamwe Kaira Celsius Resources has continued its divestment process for the Opuwo Cobalt project in Namibia, with several interested parties conducting due diligence.  The company said in its quarterly report for the period ended 30 September that the project’s exploration licence renewal is still under review by the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy. Celsius ended the quarter with about N$29 million (A$2.39 million) in cash, including around N$18 million (A$1.49 million) held by MMCI. It spent about N$53 million (A$4.37 million) on exploration and evaluation during the quarter, while payments to related parties totalled roughly N$6.6 million (A$537 000),…
Read More
Deep Yellow finds uranium at new site in Erongo

Deep Yellow finds uranium at new site in Erongo

Chamwe Kaira Deep Yellow Limited has reported promising results from its latest drilling campaign at the newly identified Tinkas prospect in Namibia’s Erongo Region. The site lies within exclusive prospecting licence 3496, adjacent to the company’s flagship Tumas project on mining licence 237. The chief financial officer and acting chief executive officer, Craig Barnes, said the exploration team completed a reverse circulation drilling programme between 23 September and 14 October 2025 to test a strong radiometric surface anomaly aligned with a network of palaeochannels, ancient river systems known to host uranium deposits in the region. A total of 105 drill…
Read More