Windhoek Observer

11743 Posts
Walvis Bay residents to pay more for garbage collection

Walvis Bay residents to pay more for garbage collection

Allexer Namundjembo Walvis Bay residents will now pay N$235.32 per household each month for refuse collection. The new rate follows tariff corrections announced by the municipality for the 2025/2026 financial year. The change, effective from 1 July, was gazetted under government notice No. 729 and signed by the town's mayor, Trevino Forbes.  It was published in the government gazette No. 8753 dated 1 October 2025. Under the revised tariff schedule, residents in Tutaleni and Farm 37 will continue to pay subsidised rates of N$80.70, while pensioners will be charged N$71.95.  Businesses will pay N$429.16 for standard bin removals per week…
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NaCC greenlights winery merger 

NaCC greenlights winery merger 

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has approved the merger between Achill Island Investments (Pty) Ltd and Silverlands Vineyards (Pty) Ltd under strict employment conditions.  The decision, published in a recent government gazette, requires the merged entity to protect jobs and maintain employee benefits for at least three years after the merger takes effect. The approval was granted in terms of section 47(2)(e) of the Competition Act, 2003, which allows NaCC to consider employment stability when reviewing mergers.  The ruling prohibits merger-specific retrenchments and voluntary separation schemes intended to reduce staff numbers.  Employees must also remain on terms that…
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SADC PF launches consultation on model law for prison oversight

SADC PF launches consultation on model law for prison oversight

Moses Magadza The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) on Monday opened a two-day consultation in Johannesburg focusing on health in prisons and the draft SADC model law on prison oversight.  The consultation brings together health professionals working in prison settings, ministries of health and correctional services, civil society organisations, and development partners to contribute technical and professional input to the draft law, which aims to strengthen parliamentary oversight and improve prison conditions across the region. Delivering the keynote address, Victor Mhango, vice chairperson of the technical working group (TWG) on prison oversight, described the initiative as “a…
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Bitcoin firm makes its debut on Namibia Stock Exchange

Bitcoin firm makes its debut on Namibia Stock Exchange

Chamwe Kaira Africa Bitcoin Corporation (ABC) has officially listed on the Namibia Stock Exchange (NSX), marking another milestone in its expansion across Southern Africa. ABC chief executive officer Warren Wheatley said the move strengthens the company’s access to capital markets and supports its goal of integrating Bitcoin into Africa’s financial systems as a reserve asset. The company, already listed in South Africa, is the first publicly listed Bitcoin treasury company on the continent.  “The NSX listing complements our existing JSE platform and provides Namibian investors with the opportunity to participate indirectly in ACOF’s growth story. By doing so, we continue…
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Payroll deduction system to alter Entrepo’s earnings profile

Payroll deduction system to alter Entrepo’s earnings profile

Chamwe Kaira The implementation of payroll deduction system (PDMS) reforms in the 2024 financial year will significantly change the earnings profile of Entrepo Finance, Capricorn Group’s micro-lending subsidiary. Entrepo has been one of the group’s most profitable businesses, delivering high net margins and returns on equity well above the group average. Although it represents only about 4% of the loan book, it has contributed roughly 11% of the group's net profit. “With the reforms now in place, we see new lending growth at Entrepo as effectively halted. While the existing book will continue to generate income, its top-line contribution will…
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AGOA expiry constrains Namibia’s diversification potential

AGOA expiry constrains Namibia’s diversification potential

Staff Writer The expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) last month marks a major shift in Africa–US trade relations, with significant implications for export diversification, investment flows, and economic alignment, analyst Amandro Jansen has said. For over 20 years, AGOA provided duty-free access to more than 6 000 product lines, helping African countries develop export capacity in apparel, agro-processing, automotive components, and other manufactured goods.  Its expiry removes these trade preferences, subjecting African exports to most-favoured-nation (MFN) tariffs and, in some cases, additional US duties. “This transition has immediate and uneven consequences across the continent. While resource-exporting…
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Passengers want journeys that are simple

Passengers want journeys that are simple

Passengers are living digital-first lives. They manage their finances, health, and mobility from their phones. But when it’s time to fly, they’re still asked to queue, print, and repeat. This year’s Travelers’ Voice, SITA Passenger IT Insights 2025, reveals a clear disconnect: travellers are ready for easy, smart journeys. And they’re asking the aviation industry to accelerate its transformation. The report channels the voices of more than 7500 real passengers, surveyed at airports in 25 countries around the world, just before takeoff and right after landing. These are authentic, in-the-moment insights from people living the journey. And they’re speaking up:…
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OBSERVER DAILY | Tot siens, Botswana: The end of an era in the second car dealership in Namibia

A quiet revolution is unfolding at the Namibian border posts. A policy shift, announced by the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, has barred the importation of second-hand vehicles older than 12 years from outside the Common Customs Area (CCA). This change, while perhaps anticipated in policy circles, has hit with the sudden force of a desert storm for many young Namibians whose livelihoods depend on the second-hand motor vehicle trade. For years, the phrase “Dankie, Botswana” marked the informal farewell uttered by hopeful entrepreneurs as they crossed into our neighbour, heading to Durban or other major ports, returning weeks later…
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Kabila’s death sentence puts Namibia in tight spot

Kabila’s death sentence puts Namibia in tight spot

Renthia Kaimbi Namibia faces a diplomatic test as the death sentence imposed on former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila draws questions about justice and political stability. International relations analyst Marius Kudumo said the focus will be on how Namibia manages the potential implications of the case diplomatically.  He noted that, while a major diplomatic fallout is unlikely, Namibia’s response will reflect its commitment to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) values of rule of law and human rights. The Congolese military tribunal last week sentenced Kabila to death in absentia on charges of war crimes and treason. …
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Donatus spent council money on cosmetics and groceries 

Donatus spent council money on cosmetics and groceries 

Renthia Kaimbi Walvis Bay Rural councillor Florian Donatus used the Erongo Regional Council credit card to buy cosmetics and groceries, according to invoices in possession of the Windhoek Observer.  Donatus was recently charged with fraud, theft, and money laundering over N$116 000 at the council. A shopping invoice Metro in Walvis Bay shows purchases billed to the council that include two tubs of dairy ice cream, a can of deodorant, bubble bath in different scents, and other groceries such as dishwashing liquid, washing powder, cooking oil, sugar, and luncheon meat.  His conduct prompted minister of urban and rural development James…
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