Latest – Windhoek Observer

23 Jan

Oil rush or national ruin: discipline must guide Namibia’s offshore future

Editorial, Featured, Latest, Opinions

In a recent OpEd published in this newspaper titled “Discovery Is the Easy Part: Why Capital Discipline Determines Frontier Offshore Success”, Fernando Sylvester delivers a sobering reminder to nations and investors alike: the true test of offshore resource development does not lie in discovery, but in the discipline that follows it. His argument is both timely and urgent for our country, as we are now standing at the threshold of potentially transformative offshore hydrocarbon wealth. Sylvester notes that frontier offshore discoveries have an outsized effect on perception. Markets react in hours. Governments issue triumphant statements. Partners congratulate one another. Value…

16 Jan

Youth spotlight: Nestor Nathingo

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Nestor Nathingo belongs to a new generation of Namibian developers who are less interested in hype and more concerned with usefulness. Trained in software development and driven by a problem-solving instinct, his work sits at the intersection of technology, access, and everyday African realities. Rather than building for abstraction, Nathingo builds for context — creating digital solutions that respond to local needs, system gaps, and practical inefficiencies. His approach reflects a quiet but growing movement among young technologists who see code not as an end in itself but as a civic tool. In a country where digital infrastructure is uneven…

12 Jan

Six emerging artists named in Apple Music’s Africa Rising Class of 2026

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Staff Writer Apple Music has announced the Africa Rising: Class of 2026, featuring six emerging artists from across the continent who are shaping the next chapter of African music. Africa Rising is Apple Music’s artist development programme that supports up-and-coming African musicians with clear creative visions and global reach. The Class of 2026 highlights artists gaining recognition in their home countries while taking African music to wider international audiences. The new cohort includes South African artist Ciza, Kenyan singer tg.blk, Ghanaian musician Gonaboy, Nigerian DJ and producer Damie, Nigerian pop artist Khid Ceejay, and Abuja-based Afro-pop artist ru. Ciza said…

10 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | The January question at the school gate

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January has a way of arriving with promise but also stress. On the one hand you have new exercise books, freshly ironed uniforms, and careful plans made at the end of the previous year. On the other hand, you have uncertainty regarding placement in a decent school for children. For many families, the start of the school year is meant to signal continuity and the reassuring return of routine; however, every January, that reassurance fractures. Across towns and cities, the same quiet uncertainty resurfaces. Parents move from school to school asking about space. Phones stay close, waiting for calls that…

10 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | Surviving Janu-worry

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There is an almost scientific anomaly that occurs every twelve months. While every other month on the Gregorian calendar certainly consists of 30 or 31 days, January somehow manages to stretch into a grueling, 744-hour marathon of fiscal anxiety.For many young people, January has become a reckoning; similar to the cold shower after the neon-lit fever dream of December. If you find yourself checking your bank balance with the same caution one might use to approach a sleeping lion, you are not alone. This is the Young Observer’s guide to surviving the longest month of the year without losing your mind…

10 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | #Unmuted

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Dearest gentle readers, would this greeting count as plagiarism on my part? I have determined to be warmer with you this year. Welcome to the year 2026 from the desk of Young Observer’s editorial team. The start of this year has been quite eventful for us as a nation and beyond our borders. Gen Z and Alpha are living through their first capture of a sitting Head of State by the United States in a much more theatrical manner. With learners set to resume and begin classes next week, the Minister of Education is cautioning against bribes in exchange for…

28 Nov

YOUNG OBSERVER | Global spotlight: New York Times profiles health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao

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When a young Namibian woman steps into a Cabinet position, the country notices. When that woman becomes the youngest health minister on the continent, the world begins to pay attention too. This week, that attention came from one of the most influential newspapers on the planet. The New York Times ran a profile on Dr Esperance Luvindao, capturing the unusual blend of youth, courage, and competence that has shaped her rise. The international spotlight is significant, but what it represents for Namibia is even more profound. At just 31, Dr Luvindao stands at the intersection of global recognition and local…

13 Oct

Has the government run out of ideas on fuel smuggling?

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There is something profoundly absurd about the fact that, three decades after independence, Namibia continues to lose the battle against Ngungula, the smuggling of cheap Angolan fuel into the country. Every few months, the police announce a “breakthrough”, a new arrest, or a haul of jerry cans and plastic drums seized from some unsuspecting backyard in Oshikango, Ongwediva or Oshakati. And then, predictably, it is back to business as usual. The trade continues. The prices remain irresistible. And the authorities remain helpless. The question that must now be asked, bluntly, without euphemism or diplomatic restraint, is this: has the Namibian…

03 Oct

YOUNG OBSERVER | Theofelus named among TIME’s 100 Next: A moment of global pride for Namibia

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In a proud and historic moment for Namibia, Emma Theofelus, the country’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology, has been named on TIME magazine’s prestigious list of the 100 Next, a global recognition of the world’s most influential rising leaders. This recognition places Theofelus among a cohort of extraordinary young visionaries who are not only leading change today but shaping the future across politics, innovation, activism, the arts, and more. The list, curated annually by TIME, celebrates those who have demonstrated unwavering courage, groundbreaking vision, and tangible impact in their respective fields. For Namibia, this accolade is more than a…

06 Aug

Kadhila rejoins GIPF in top investment role

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Allexer Namundjembo The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has announced the return of Immanuel Ndinoomwa Kadhila as general manager for investments, effective 1 September 2025. Kadhila previously held the position of head of treasury at GIPF from 2015 to 2022. His return comes as the fund moves to strengthen its investment portfolio and align with its Responsible Investment Policy.GIPF stated that Kadhila brings experience in investment management across various sectors.The fund expressed confidence in his ability to help protect and grow its portfolio to meet obligations to members receiving lifetime benefits. GIPF CEO Martin Inkumbi said Kadhila’s appointment supports the…