Allexer Namundjembo
Non-alcoholic beverage manufacturer and distributor Interpack says it has corrected salary discrepancies after several employees were underpaid due to a payroll miscalculation by the Human Resources department.
The issue reportedly affected staff who said they received only partial salaries.
“We were paid less. It seems like they calculated only the number of days we worked and ignored our basic salaries,” one employee told the Windhoek Observer on condition of anonymity.
Former workers also alleged unfair dismissals, claiming some employees were terminated without undergoing formal disciplinary processes.
“When I was there, we worked long hours, and some of us got fired without even attending a hearing,” one source said.
When contacted, Interpack management admitted the payroll error and confirmed they had started addressing the matter before receiving media queries.
“Yes, we were aware of the issue. We were already working on correcting the error by Friday last week,” a company representative said.
Management denied claims of unfair dismissals.
“We treat our workers with dignity. None of them approached us about the payment issue. They have since been paid the outstanding amounts, and the matter is now settled,” the company said.
Several affected employees later confirmed they had received their corrected salaries.
“Our money reflected on Monday. We appreciate that they corrected the error,” one worker said.
Interpack, which began as a small fruit juice packaging business, now produces Vita Juice, Tropizone Aqua, CreeMEE dairy-fruit blends, and traditional Namibian drinks such as Supa Omasi, Mageu, and Oshikundu.
The company also holds exclusive distribution rights for Red Bull in Namibia. Its production facility, located outside Windhoek, supplies products nationwide.
The incident at Interpack comes amid a rise in reported wage disputes across the country.
In the ||Karas Region, security guards contracted by Nally Investments to public schools reported earning as little as N$2,300 per month—below the legal minimum wage.
Although an arbitration ruling in April 2025 ordered the company to pay outstanding wages from 2023, workers say the company has not complied.
In Windhoek, employees of Namibia Road Products and Services went without salaries for two months due to alleged insolvency.
The matter was referred to the High Court for potential liquidation.
At the Katutura Old-Age Home, staff reported not being paid for three months, receiving only occasional allowances.
In the northern parts of the country, a university lecturer filed a legal case after teaching for several months without a contract or pay, seeking N$67,000 in compensation.
Former workers of Air Namibia are still pursuing severance payouts years after the airline’s liquidation.
In 2023, five Namdia security officers were awarded N$1.45 million by the labour commissioner for unpaid overtime and missed lunch breaks over three years.
According to the Ministry of Labour, between April 2024 and March 2025, more than N$2 million was recovered from employers following complaints involving unpaid wages, unlawful deductions, and overtime disputes.
The central region recorded the highest number of cases.
