Chamwe Kaira
Meat and beer became more expensive in July, official statistics show. The annual index for the ‘meat’ subcomponent rose by 10.3% in July, compared to 3.8% in July 2024.
The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) attributed the rise mainly to beef prices, which climbed from 7% to 14.6%, minced meat from 4% to 12.6%, mutton and lamb from 1.9% to 12.2%, and sausages from 0.8% to 8.9%.
Vegetable prices also surged. The index for vegetables, including potatoes and other tubers, rose by 9.7% in July compared to 4.6% a year earlier. Notable increases were recorded for cucumber (-17.5% to 30.2%), spinach (-1.1% to 26.2%), onion (-23.2% to 11.0%), and sweet potatoes (-14.7% to 7.6%).
The annual inflation rate for alcoholic beverages and tobacco, which make up 12.6% of the consumer basket, stood at 6% in July, up from 4.9% a year ago. Month-on-month, the category’s inflation eased to 0.2% from 0.1% in the previous month.
Alcoholic beverages recorded an annual inflation rate of 5.8% in July, compared to 4.5% in July 2024. The increase was led by white spirits (2.2% to 7.9%) and sparkling wines (2.7% to 6.4%).
Tobacco prices rose by 6.8% in July, slightly up from 6.4% a year earlier, with cigarette prices increasing from 4.3% to 4.9%.
Namibia’s overall annual inflation rate rose to 3.7% in June, from 3.5% in May. Simonis Storm analyst Almandro Jansen said this halted the disinflationary trend seen earlier in the quarter. The rise was driven by food and housing costs, particularly in meat, vegetables, and non-alcoholic beverages, while transport inflation provided some relief.
“Although inflation remains below the widely watched 4% threshold, the underlying risk profile has become increasingly tilted to the upside. We anticipate that inflation will likely breach 4% in the second half of the year, driven by a combination of global supply disruptions, regional currency effects, and imported cost pressures,” Jansen said.
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