Blog – Page 4 – Windhoek Observer

29 Jan

Ex-Walvis Bay councillor hires jobseekers to fix potholes

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Former Walvis Bay local authority councillor Ryan Gordon has taken it upon himself to organise pothole repairs in Narraville. Gordon, who lives in Narraville, told Observer Coastal that he started the initiative after seeing no response from pothole repair teams contracted by the Walvis Bay Municipality. He also criticised the quality and durability of repair work done in other parts of town. “It’s a lot of money that they got paid, and you’ll see that they are busy in the street, then off to another, but within a month, you’ll see potholes pop up again where they already…

29 Jan

OBSERVER COASTAL | Blue Girls protest exclusion from netball playoffs

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Blue Girls Netball Club of Swakopmund has lodged a formal protest over its exclusion from the 2026 MTC Namibia Netball Premier League playoffs. The club is accusing Netball Namibia of unfair procedures and inconsistent application of its rules. The dispute follows a communication issued by Netball Namibia on 24 October 2025 confirming the teams that qualified for the playoffs. The list did not include the Erongo Region champions. Netball Namibia president Juanita Witbeen told Observer Coastal that regions which failed to meet administrative deadlines were excluded from the process. In a detailed letter addressed to Witbeen, Blue Girls…

29 Jan

Namibia records 11% growth in air travel

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Air Connect Namibia has recorded steady growth in air connectivity, positioning Namibia as the leading performer in Southern Africa in terms of new international air connections. The initiative was established in 2024 as a collaborative air service development programme led by the Namibia Airports Company, with the aim of improving international air access to the country. Passenger traffic has continued to grow. Between January and October 2025, passenger numbers increased by 11%. This followed a milestone in 2024, when Namibia recorded more than one million origin-destination passengers, also an 11% increase compared to 2023. The figures were shared…

29 Jan

Africa takes over half of Namibia’s exports in November

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia exported goods worth N$5.4 billion to the African continent in November, while imports from Africa amounted to N$6.7 billion. This resulted in a trade deficit of N$1.3 billion and total trade of N$12.1 billion for the month. A comparison of Namibia’s trade with Africa and the rest of the world shows that intra-Africa exports accounted for 54.2% of total exports. Imports from Africa represented 46.7% of total imports. According to the Namibia Statistics Agency’s (NSA) Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin, this means that 45.8% of Namibia’s exports were destined for countries outside the African Continental Free…

29 Jan

EAN warns economic growth will not translate into jobs

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The Economic Association of Namibia (EAN) has warned that while the macroeconomic outlook for 2026 appears positive, it remains narrow and vulnerable. The Bank of Namibia (BoN) expects economic growth to improve in 2026 after a subdued performance in 2025. Growth is forecast at about 3% in 2025 and is expected to accelerate to 3.9% in 2026, assuming stronger sectoral performance and a more stable external environment. However, the EAN said economic performance remains heavily dependent on a small number of sectors, favourable weather conditions and limited fiscal space. Inflation has provided some relief. Headline inflation eased to…

29 Jan

Rail-centred logistics key to securing trade position

Uncategorised

Chamwe Kaira Namibia must urgently shift to a rail-anchored logistics model to secure its long-term position as a regional trade corridor, economist Almandro Jansen of Simonis Storm has said. Jansen said Namibia’s strategic value does not lie in the size of its economy but in its location, institutions and operational reliability. Positioned on the Atlantic coast, Namibia offers the shortest maritime route linking Southern and Central Africa to European and North American markets through the Port of Walvis Bay. He stated that relatively strong governance, clear regulations, transparent customs processes, and stable port operations strengthen this advantage. These factors reduce…

29 Jan

SA’s improving economy lifts confidence at Mr Price

Observer Money

Staff Writer Mr Price Group Limited says signs point to an improving economic growth outlook for South Africa in 2026. The group said this is supported by low and stable inflation, the possibility of further interest rate cuts, gains from a strong commodity cycle and continued strength of the rand against the US dollar. It cautioned, however, that uncertainty in the global political and economic environment could still affect the outlook. The retailer said the improved macroeconomic environment should support the retail sector by allowing more disposable income to flow into discretionary spending. In the first four weeks of January,…

29 Jan

Cashbuild revenue up 1% on new store openings

Observer Money

Staff Writer Cashbuild Limited reported a 1% increase in group revenue in the second quarter of the 2026 financial year. The growth was supported by new stores and the inclusion of Amper Alles, a subsidiary in which the group acquired a 60% controlling interest with effect from 1 December 2025. In a voluntary operational update released this week, Cashbuild said the increase came despite a 2% decline in revenue from its 309 existing stores. The group’s 15 new stores contributed 3% growth during the quarter. For the half year ended 28 December 2025, group revenue rose by 3% compared to…

29 Jan

Municipalities: competence must trump politics

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

A video clip now circulating widely on social media has struck a nerve across the country. In it, Prof. Job Amupanda confronts the CEO of a local authority over a presentation made to a parliamentary committee. The presentation contained a slide titled “Statistical Overview”, yet when questioned, the CEO could not provide a single statistic. The uncomfortable exchange that followed has since become a viral moment, but beyond the embarrassment of one official lies a much deeper and more troubling national issue: the appointment of individuals to critical public positions without the competence such offices demand. This newspaper has previously…

29 Jan

Nored goes to court to stop worker strike …strike might involve 89% of employees

Main, National News

Justicia Shipena Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) has approached the Labour Court on an urgent basis to stop a planned strike by the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN). Nored warns that the industrial action could disrupt electricity supply across large parts of northern Namibia. This move comes after Nored workers issued a notice of strike action last Friday, following the collapse of wage negotiations that had lasted for more than a year. MUN, which represents Nored employees, has accused management of intimidation aimed at preventing workers from exercising their right to strike. In its founding affidavit, deposed to by Nored’s…