Windhoek Observer

13052 Posts
Agrimark parent company records higher earnings

Agrimark parent company records higher earnings

Chamwe Kaira  KAL Group, the holding company of Agrimark, has reported strong growth for the 2025 financial year, driven by expansion initiatives and improved operating efficiencies across its businesses. The KAL Group operates 89 stores across South Africa and Namibia, including 25 Agrimark outlets in Namibia.  Since 2011, the group has delivered a compound annual growth rate of 12.7% in recurring headline earnings per share. For the year under review, the group generated N$20.3 billion in revenue.  This was achieved despite an 11% decline in fuel prices, which make up 53% of total sales. Agri-inputs grew by 8.2%, while fuel…
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Shaping the future of corporate governance

Shaping the future of corporate governance

Hellmut von Ludwiger  Not long ago, I found myself in a boardroom conversation that had nothing to do with numbers, forecasts, or compliance checklists. Instead, the question on the table was a simple one: are we making decisions today that we would still be proud of tomorrow?  It was a reminder that, at its heart, governance is not just about rules but about judgement, accountability, and the responsibility we carry toward those who place their trust in us. It is against this backdrop that the launch of the King V Code marks an important milestone in the evolution of corporate…
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Petra unearths 42ct, blue diamond from Cullinan Mine

Petra unearths 42ct, blue diamond from Cullinan Mine

Petra Diamonds has recovered a blue diamond weighing 41.82 carats from its Cullinan mine in South Africa. The stone, a type IIb of “exceptional quality”, is the first of its colour and magnitude the deposit has yielded in the past five years, Petra said Tuesday. The previous one was a 39.34-carat diamond it found at the site in April 2021. The company sold that gem for US$40.2 million. The miner is in the process of analysing the stone and deciding the best method of sale. The Cullinan mine is known for the recovery of rare, high-value blue diamonds. The stone…
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Itula, Nashinge allegedly clash over ‘opposition leader’ title

Itula, Nashinge allegedly clash over ‘opposition leader’ title

Renthia Kaimbi Tensions have reportedly emerged within the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) over the use of the title “leader of the official opposition”. The disagreement is between party president Panduleni Itula and IPC’s parliamentary leader Immanuel Nashinge.  Sources told the Windhoek Observer that Itula allegedly warned Nashinge in December 2025 against responding to the title outside parliament.  Itula is also said to have insisted that all state invitations meant for the opposition leader be forwarded directly to him. Nashinge dismissed the allegations as a “boring joke” and said the IPC’s leadership structure is clear. “(The) leader of the official…
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Public offices still lack sign language services

Public offices still lack sign language services

Allexer Namundjembo Sign language interpretation services in Namibia remain inadequate despite recent progress, the National Association of Deaf Adults (NNAD) has said. Responding to questions on the status of sign language integration last week, NNAD said initiatives such as the Namibian Sign Language App (NAMSLAP) have improved access, especially in schools.  It said many deaf Namibians still face barriers when accessing public services. “The landscape of sign language interpretation in Namibia presents both progress and persistent challenges,” the association said, noting that NAMSLAP was rolled out with support from the UN Democracy Fund and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS). NNAD…
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Admission to university does not guarantee funding – Steenkamp

Admission to university does not guarantee funding – Steenkamp

Staff Writer The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture says admission into a tertiary institution does not automatically guarantee government funding.  Education minister Sanet Steenkamp on Friday clarified how the subsidised tertiary funding model will apply for the 2026 academic year. Steenkamp said funding decisions under the subsidised tertiary funding model will continue to follow the existing eligibility rules used by the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), despite the expansion of subsidised education. “Being admitted into a tertiary institution does not automatically guarantee funding, but funding decisions will be guided by the existing, transparent requirements,” Steenkamp…
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Gazza eyes job creation through local business ventures

Gazza eyes job creation through local business ventures

Renthia Kaimbi Kwaito artist Lazarus "Gazza" Shiimi has ended a brief venture related to the international defence sector and is now refocusing on music and local business projects in Namibia. Shiimi said the separation from a UAE-based manufacturer of armoured vehicles and security equipment was amicable and followed limited support from local stakeholders.  He said the decision allows him to focus on areas where he can have a direct impact on youth development and economic growth at home. “When an opportunity arises that could potentially build skills and industry for our people, I believe in exploring it fully. The aim…
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TURNING POINT | Which Namibia are we? A nation at war with its own imagination

TURNING POINT | Which Namibia are we? A nation at war with its own imagination

“The younger cousin declared that one day he will own his own airline with five planes. The older cousin laughed uncontrollably and said, ‘Look at you and where you are. Just an hour ago you were asking for taxi money, and now you’re making embarrassing exclamations about your life.’ Clearly deflated, the younger cousin fell silent. I then asked the elder cousin, still living in his parents’ house in the village, holding a tertiary qualification, but moving from one drinking hole to another, what his plans were. Without hesitation he said, ‘Well, I tell you, cousin, one day when I…
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No more hostage politics: Namibia must close the liberation claims era

The latest declaration by the Former Refugees Repatriation Association of Namibia (FRRAN) that it will escalate its demands to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah should concern every Namibian who cares about the country’s future governance. Former refugees, camping at Swapo headquarters since October last year, insist that United Nations funds meant for their resettlement in 1989 were handed to Swapo and never paid to them. The United Nations denies this. Swapo’s records deny this. Yet the protest continues, and a new political audience is now being sought. At the same time, liberation struggle veterans, despite decades of gratuities, pensions, land allocations, business…
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Swapo asks exile protesters to leave its HQ 

Swapo asks exile protesters to leave its HQ 

Renthia Kaimbi Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has asked protesters camping outside the party’s national headquarters in Windhoek to vacate the premises by Tuesday morning. This follows talks involving senior officials from the United Nations (UN) regarding funds for the repatriation process from exile.  In a notice to vacate issued on Sunday, which states that all tents and belongings must be removed from the premises by 10h00 on Tuesday.  The demonstrators, led by Joseph Amutenya, are Namibians who returned from exile under UN supervision in 1989.  They have been camping at the headquarters since 22 October 2025.  They demand clarity…
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