Blog – Page 2 – Windhoek Observer

26 Feb

SA debt to stabilise as tax hikes scrapped

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Enoch Godongwana says South Africa has reached a turning point in managing its public finances. Delivering the 2026 National Budget in Parliament, Godongwana said the country had emerged from a period marked by state capture, credit rating downgrades, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and greylisting by the Financial Action Task Force. Public finances were under strain and economic growth had stalled. He said the government is committed to a reform agenda focused on stabilising debt, investing in infrastructure and improving the quality of spending. Gross debt is expected to stabilise at 78.9% of GDP in 2025/26 and…

26 Feb

Ultimate Safaris spent N$18m on Kunene projects

Observer Money

Staff Writer Ultimate Safaris contributed more than N$18 million to community and conservation support in the Kunene region in 2025. More than N$10 million went to the Doro !Nawas Conservancy and the Doros Joint Management Area, a joint venture between the Sorris Sorris, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro Nawas conservancies. This included N$3 million in direct cash payments to conservancies through bed levies, N$6.7 million in salaries and employee benefits, and N$700,000 in conservation and community benefits. Ultimate Safaris managing director Tristan Cowley said the company is "extremely pleased to have been able to contribute in a way that is intended…

26 Feb

Nedbank launches agricultural development programme

Observer Money

Staff Writer Nedbank Namibia has launched the 2026 Nedbank for Good Series, marking the return of its national golf initiative with a focus on agricultural development through sport. The series was first introduced in 2020. It has grown into a national platform that links golf tournaments to community support through charity partnerships. In partnership with Agra ProVision, proceeds from the tournament fund agricultural training in the northern, southern and eastern regions of Namibia. The programme also supports persons with disabilities. Agra ProVision became the beneficiary of the series in 2024. By the end of the 2025 edition, it had received…

26 Feb

Purchasing patterns showing signs of structural pressure

Observer Money

Staff Writer Household purchasing patterns in Namibia are shifting as grocery prices and income limits change how people spend. A Windhoek-based basket tracking exercise, which monitors a fixed list of essential goods across major retailers, shows that the base price for groceries has moved higher. The exercise is not an official consumer price index, but it reflects what shoppers pay at the till, according to a study by Simonis Storm. In September 2025, the lowest-priced mainstream basket stood at N$978.58 at Shoprite Holdings Ltd outlets. It was the only major chain offering a basket below N$1000 that month. In October…

26 Feb

Spar CEO resigns

Observer Money

Staff Writer Spar Group Limited has announced the resignation of group chief executive officer Angelo Swartz, effective 28 February. Swartz has also stepped down as an executive director. Swartz served the group for 19 years and became Group CEO in October 2023. During his tenure, he focused on stabilising operations, simplifying the portfolio and strengthening the balance sheet. Chairman Mike Bosman said the board appreciates Swartz’s leadership and long service. He said Swartz guided the group through a period of complexity and change. The board said the company remains positioned to build on progress made and to accelerate execution of…

26 Feb

Dischem returns N$410m to customers

Observer Money

Staff Writer Dischem Pharmacies Limited reported group revenue growth of 10.1% for the 24-week period from 1 September 2025 to 16 February 2026, compared with the same period last year. Chief executive officer Rui Morais said performance was supported by the rollout of the redesigned loyalty platform, Better Rewards, which launched on 21 October 2025. The programme uses technology and customer data to reshape value delivery in healthcare retail. Morais said the strategy behind Better Rewards was to increase discount effectiveness through higher boost penetration and to explore new ecosystem funding channels. The goal is to sustain investment in customer…

26 Feb

Equality or efficiency? Public healthcare reform through Fanon’s “zone of being” and “zone of non-being”.

Opinions

Sakaria Johannes The recent directive by the Ministry of Health and Social Services requiring government employees to seek treatment in public hospitals has generated considerable public debate. At the heart of the discussion lies a tension between equality and efficiency. Some civil servants argue that, as contributors to the state machinery and providers of essential services, they deserve priority or differentiated healthcare access. Others maintain that public institutions should serve all citizens equally, without hidden hierarchies. This policy can be meaningfully examined through the philosophical framework of Frantz Fanon, particularly his concept of the “zone of being” and the “zone…

25 Feb

Leadership by example. But health reform must start with the basics

Editorial, Featured

When Health Minister Esperance Luvindao told Parliament yesterday that public hospitals must be good enough for senior officials, she cut through years of polite avoidance. Her message was direct: if the state runs a public health system, those who govern the state should use it. That declaration deserves recognition. Namibia has lived with an uncomfortable duality in healthcare. The majority depend on public facilities that are chronically stretched. Meanwhile, a politically connected minority accesses private care through the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS). The result is a structural detachment between decision-makers and the daily experience of ordinary patients.…

25 Feb

Namcor board chair and acting MD butt heads

Main, National News

Renthia Kaimbi A leadership dispute is unfolding at the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), where board chairperson Florentia Amuenje and interim managing director Maureen Hinda-Mbuende are at odds over the future of the top executive post. Hinda-Mbuende’s six-month contract ends on Friday, one day after applications close for a substantive managing director. She was appointed after former acting MD Victoria Sibeya was removed in August 2025, five months into her tenure. Sources within Namcor claim Amuenje has made it clear that Hinda-Mbuende will not be reappointed beyond her initial term. Insiders say the chairperson has already identified a preferred…

25 Feb

Itula insists President lied about her family’s oil interests

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Independence Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula insists that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s family has interests in the oil and gas sector. He says the country must confront what he calls a conflict at the centre of government as the National Assembly debates the oil bill. “It is not speculation. What I am about to present to you is a diagnosis of capture,” Itula said during a press conference at the party’s office in Windhoek on Tuesday. At the same time, Itula said he was presenting evidence, not making allegations. He described what he called “a capture of…