Blog

New NCCI Lüderitz exco promises to support all businesses 

New NCCI Lüderitz exco promises to support all businesses 

Chamwe Kaira  The new executive committee of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) Lüderitz branch has pledged to represent businesses of all sizes. It will focus on creating an enabling environment that promotes entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, and investment. Alex Gawanab was elected chairperson, with Daniel Hooft as vice-chairperson. Both are prominent figures in the local business community, representing the fishing industry and the emerging kelp-linked sector. In his acceptance speech, Gawanab said Lüderitz has the resources to drive economic growth in the town and the Karas Region through both established industries and new sectors.  He said the committee…
Read More
Shoprite sales growth reaches N$20.6 billion 

Shoprite sales growth reaches N$20.6 billion 

Shoprite Group results for the 52 weeks ended 29 June surpassed a N$250 million mark, the group announced on Tuesday. Chief executive officer Pieter Engelbrecht said the group achieved sales growth of N$20.6 billion for the period. Engelbrecht said the group returned N$16.5 billion at point of sale while successfully maintaining its selling price inflation at only 2.3% in its core Supermarkets RSA segment.  The group has 30 million customers, and in terms of sales performance in its core Supermarkets RSA segment, the Shoprite and Usave brands saw a sales increase of 5.9%, translating to N$6.5 billion in sales growth…
Read More

OBSERVER DAILY | Financial inclusion: Namibia’s next liberation struggle

Namibia this week hosts the inaugural Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Global Policy Forum. James Chapman, managing director of Bank Windhoek, has marked the moment with an essay celebrating his bank’s role in expanding access: rural branches, cellphone banking, local-language ATMs, digital apps, and fee-free accounts. These steps are commendable. But Namibia cannot afford to confuse corporate milestones with national transformation. Financial inclusion is not a marketing slogan; it is a matter of economic justice. And justice, if it is to mean anything, must be enforced through political will, not polished through corporate press releases. The ghosts of exclusion Before…
Read More
Sisters and unborn twins perish in Mariental crash 

Sisters and unborn twins perish in Mariental crash 

Allexer Namundjembo A heavily pregnant woman, her unborn baby, and her sister were among 16 people who perished in the deadly head-on collision near Mariental on Saturday morning.  The accident  also claimed the lives of 12 correctional officers, two police officers, and two civilians. The collision occurred just after 07h00 on the B1 road, about seven kilometres north of Mariental. Four police officers had rushed to Withuis location to assist Diana Jagger, who had gone into labour and had no transport to hospital.  They picked up Jagger along with her sister Roseltha Higoam but never reached their destination. Inspector general…
Read More
Rehoboth Council faces property auction over N$1.8m court payout

Rehoboth Council faces property auction over N$1.8m court payout

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Rehoboth Town Council is facing the auction of its property to settle a N$1.8 million payout to former employee Bertha Drotsky, following a High Court ruling delivered in June. Councillor Jackie Jackson ‡Khariseb confirmed the ruling, saying, “The matter was agitated in favour of Bertha to a value of N$1.8 million, the council applied for an appeal under the judgement in June. The court held that whilst the appeal is granted, the order must be upheld and the N$1.8 million be paid out.” The council attempted to comply with the court order while safeguarding funds during the appeal…
Read More
RFA boss can now waive vehicle licence penalties

RFA boss can now waive vehicle licence penalties

Allexer Namundjembo Motorists who have fallen behind on vehicle licence payments now have a path to relief.  The Road Fund Administration amendment act, 2024, came into force with new regulations gazetted on 22 August 2025.  The law allows exemptions and waivers for license fees, penalties, and interest. Finance minister Ericah Shafudah said in the notice of the gazetted regulations that the aim is to ease financial strain while protecting the Road Fund’s sustainability.  “With this law now in effect, we are introducing a fair and transparent process through which vehicle owners can seek relief on certain fees and penalties. Our…
Read More
Analyst slams Sankwasa for belittling social work

Analyst slams Sankwasa for belittling social work

Allexer Namundjembo Urban  and rural development minister James Sankwasa’s recent comment about “married people running to unmarried social workers” has been described as ignorant and misleading.  Sankwasa made the remarks on Saturday during the official designation of chief Eugene Kudumo of the Uukwangali Traditional Authority in Nkurenkuru.  He said the best social workers did not graduate from the University of Namibia (Unam). "Our best social workers in this world were our grandparents and uncles, and not graduates from Unam," he said.  Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah criticised the statement, saying it undermined a profession central to Namibia’s social welfare system.  “There…
Read More
EU–Namibia Business Forum set for 2026

EU–Namibia Business Forum set for 2026

Justicia Shipena Preparations are underway for the next EU–Namibia Business Forum, scheduled for 24–25 March 2026.  The announcement was made during the 2025 EU–Namibia Partnership Dialogue held in Windhoek on Monday. The dialogue was co-chaired by Namibia’s minister of international relations and trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, and the European Union (EU) ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins.  It brought together senior Namibian government officials, EU representatives, and member states, including France, Finland, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. Talks focused on strengthening economic and trade ties, with emphasis on the EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement and the African Continental Free Trade Area.  The meeting…
Read More
Vakwangali people finally get designated chief

Vakwangali people finally get designated chief

Allexer Namundjembo After more than a decade of legal battles, Eugene Siwombe Kudumo has officially been designated as chief of the Vakwangali people, succeeding the late chief Sitentu Mpasi, who died 11 years ago. The ceremony drew traditional leaders from across the country and neighbouring Angola, including chief Sofia Mujembwe of Sambyu, chief Alfons Kaundu of Mbunza, and chief May Kasamane of Mangondo. The path to Kudumo’s recognition was long and contested. In February 2017, the Windhoek High Court set aside the minister of urban and rural development's decision to designate him, citing irregularities in the nomination process.  The challenge…
Read More
US tariffs threaten Namibia’s international payments 

US tariffs threaten Namibia’s international payments 

Chamwe Kaira  The recent announcement of a 15 percent tariff on Namibian exports to the US and a 30% tariff on South African goods has implications that go beyond trade flows, analyst Almandro Jansen of Simonis Storm Securities has warned.  Jansen said these measures will also affect how money moves across borders, particularly through the  Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system,  the backbone of international payments. SWIFT is used by over 11 000 financial institutions worldwide. It allows banks to send payment instructions, settle cross-border trade, and communicate in a standard format.  Almost every Namibian dollar earned from…
Read More