Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA  Namibia’s automotive market is set for a strong recovery in 2025, driven by improving economic conditions and strategic vehicle launches. A report by Simonis Storm Securities projects that a more accommodative monetary policy and rising consumer confidence will accelerate vehicle sales across both passenger and commercial segments. Toyota is well-positioned to strengthen its market dominance, leveraging upcoming next-generation Hilux and Fortuner models, which will integrate improvements in fuel efficiency, technology, and safety features. The refreshed Corolla Cross, featuring advanced hybrid technology, reflects Toyota’s ability to align with evolving consumer preferences for fuel-efficient and cost-effective mobility solutions, the report…

Namdeb’s life of mine is up to 2042. Namdeb’s performance and continued journey as a significant contributor and role player in the Namibian economy would not have been possible without the royalty remission. Nambeb is currently enjoying a five-year,5% royalty remission, agreed with the government in 2021.   Namdeb’s 2023 production year is characterised by milestones including the historical production achievement of one million western-block square meters of area mined.  Namdeb obtained contestable customer approval from Namibia’s Electricity Control Board (ECB), a key milestone for the development of the Wind Farm which is a strategic imperative contributing towards energy cost…

Niël Terblanché The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Administração dos Portos de Sines e do Algarve, SA (APS), the authority overseeing Portugal's Port of Sines and the Algarve. The chief executive officer of NamPort, Andrew Kanime, in a statement on Wednesday, said this new strategic alliance is set to increase knowledge exchange, capacity building, and operational excellence between the two port authorities. "This partnership leverages the historical and economic ties between Namibia and Portugal to drive connectivity, trade, and investment," he said. According to Kanime, the MoU focuses on the development of…

Niël Terblanché Australian mining company Golden Deeps Ltd informed its investors on the Australian Securities Exchange that it has commenced with a new diamond drilling programme targeting extensions of the Nosib strata bound copper-silver deposit within its Otavi Mountain Land (OML) tenements in northern Namibia. According to the statement, the initiative aims to build upon previous findings and explore the deposit's potential at greater depths and to the west. Earlier drilling efforts at the Nosib deposit identified a zone of copper-vanadium-lead-silver oxide and supergene mineralisation from the surface. This discovery formed the basis of a maiden Mineral Resource for the…

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Petroleum Training and Education Fund (PETROFUND) is inviting Namibian youth, particularly those from the southern regions, to apply for fully funded scholarships in vocational training fields such as boilermaking, electrical engineering, fitting, and turning. PETROFUND spokesperson Shoki Kandjimi announced on Tuesday that the scholarships are for the 2025 academic year and will be offered at the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT), Keetmanshoop campus.  The initiative aims to equip Namibian youth with the technical skills needed to work in the country’s growing oil and gas industry, particularly following hydrocarbon discoveries in Namibia's Orange Basin between 2022…

Martin Endjala A group of concerned Daure Daman community members from Uis in the Erongo region are demanding to see the president, refusing to engage with what they term “useless ministries.” This comes after the group travelled from Uis on Tuesday to present their grievances to President Nangolo Mbumba at the State House on Wednesday. They were denied an audience with the president. The executive director in the president’s private office, Moses Pakote, wrote a letter dated 23 January, directing attention to the group's request made on 20 January. The letter stated that the president had referred their concerns to…

CHAMWE KAIRA  The country can consume only about 30% of its meat production, making it reliant on both regional and international export markets.  According to the Red Meat Industry Report, prepared by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) and released by Red Meat Industry Services, it was estimated that 2.8 million cattle would have been slaughtered in South Africa in 2024.  The Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO) estimates that Namibia exported around 180 000 live cattle to South Africa in 2024, a year marked by emergency marketing and further herd liquidation.  This represented approximately 6.4% of the cattle slaughtered…

CHAMWE KAIRA  The Deep Yellow team continues to progress key work streams to ensure that its most advanced projects, Tumas and Mulga Rock, remain on schedule with their stated timelines for production. Tumas is one of the most advanced greenfield uranium development projects available and provides an incredible value generation opportunity for the company and its stakeholders.  “The company has a clear outlook from both a project and uranium market standpoint on how to best ensure the right platform is established for long-term success. Following delays in receiving final costing and quotes for detailed engineering work, along with the opportunity…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Curro Holdings, the JSE-listed independent school group, has announced the appointment of Rickert Jacobs as the new executive head of Walvis Bay Gymnasium.  With more than two decades of educational experience, Jacobs previously served as the head of high school at Curro Kathu in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. He says his aim is to ‘influence those in my sphere so that the game changers in our society can multiply’ and that his educational philosophy centres on empowering staff members to do the same.  ‘I’m excited by the new opportunity to grow as a professional and to get…