Page 2 – News Stand

14 Aug

B2Gold attempts to make Otjikoto green again

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira B2Gold has rehabilitated 19% of the disturbed footprint at its Otjikoto Mine, covering 165 hectares. The company shared the update at the recent Mining Expo and Conference in Windhoek. It has planted 10 100 seedlings from 18 indigenous species and restored about 20 hectares with grass species and soil-enhancing material. B2Gold said its non-obligatory rehabilitation fund ensures that rehabilitation obligations will be met by the end of the mine’s life. The mine has also reduced Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) consumption by more than three million litres a year. From 2014 to 2018, the Otjikoto Power Plant ran entirely…

14 Aug

Standard Bank’s interest income hits N$1.1 billion

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira Standard Bank Namibia Holdings reported a 2.9% increase in interest income to N$1.1 billion for the six months ended 30 June. The growth was supported by an 8.8% rise in gross loans and advances to customers and an 18.4% increase in other interest-earning assets. Lending activity started slower than expected, which limited the impact on average balances, a key driver of net interest income. A cumulative 100 basis point cut in the repo rate also reduced margins. Non-interest revenue rose by 3.6% to N$792.7 million, driven by higher client activity and greater use of digital services. Net fee…

14 Aug

Navachab plans N$4 billion expansion

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira Navachab Gold Mine at Karibib plans to spend N$4 billion on an exploration drilling programme over the next four years. The managing director of Navachab Gold Mine, George Botshiwe, said the ore body is now too deep for open-pit mining. The mine also produces silver as a by-product. Opened in 1989 with a planned lifespan of nine years, the mine has since expanded its processing capacity but has faced challenges such as limited water, power supply, and funds. Located 10km from Karibib and 180km west of Windhoek, Navachab has been owned by QKR NMH since acquiring it from…

14 Aug

Electricity and water sector poised for 12.3% rise

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira Electricity and water supply is expected to grow by 12.3% in 2025, up from 2.3% in 2024, according to the Bank of Namibia’s August economic outlook. The increase is driven by favourable rainfall, which will boost hydroelectric generation at the Ruacana Power Station and more solar power from projects such as the Otjikoto Biomass Plant and Rosh Pinah’s 70 MW PV facility. The central bank said, “Rising reservoir levels are also expected to contribute to a stronger performance in the water supply component. Growth in this subsector is expected to remain elevated over the medium term, in line…

14 Aug

FNB revises its inflation outlook

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira Inflation eased to 3.5% year on year in July, down from 4.6% in July 2024 and slightly below the 3.7% recorded in June 2025. This is the second time this year inflation has reached 3.5%, continuing the disinflationary trend that began in October 2023. The slowdown was driven by last year’s high base and reduced cost pressures across key expenditure categories. FNB Namibia said it has revised its inflation forecast downward. The bank now expects inflation to ease to 3.5% in August and remain below 4% for the rest of the year, ending at 3.7% in December, compared…

14 Aug

SARB expected to cut lending rate in 2026

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Chamwe Kaira FNB Namibia economist Helena Mboti expects the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to cut its repo rate by 25 basis points in the first quarter of 2026. The SARB’s 25 bps cut on 31 July 2025 was in line with FNB’s expectation and does not change its baseline view. Mboti said that if the SARB adopts a more aggressive cutting cycle, especially one that eliminates or inverts the rate differential, the Bank of Namibia would likely respond in a similar manner. “Likewise, a sharp unexpected rise in global inflation-driven factors like tariff hikes or global oil price shocks…

14 Aug

Namibia’s Eurobond Redemption: A Fiscal Win with Real-Life Benefits

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In a time when news about public finances often comes wrapped in alarm bells and warnings, Namibia has given us a story worth celebrating. The country is on track to fully redeem its US$750 million Eurobond when it matures in October 2025. This is not just a technical achievement in debt management; it’s proof that disciplined planning and consistent follow-through can pay off, and it’s the kind of success that can have real meaning for ordinary Namibians. Nicholas Mukasa, Director of Financial Markets at the Bank of Namibia, confirmed recently that “we are on target to redeem that bond when…

14 Aug

Hon Sankwasa and Swapo need the ideal ideological disposition!

info_e12wt4csOpinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro FOR what it is worth! Yours Truly Ideologically could not but title this week’s column as such. Urging to join the ongoing debate pertaining to the dichotomy between the Minister of Urban and Rural Development and elected local authority councils. Thinking whether the debate is worth the time and energy that seems to be expended on it. As if there’s ever any unclarity between the functions of these councils and the central government, and thus ministers and/or Cabinet if you wish, let alone the Minister of Urban and Rural Development (MURD). As far as Yours Truly is concerned,…

14 Aug

Responding to Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro alleging that Swanu-trained cadres never engaged in combat due to the reluctance of Swapo to facilitate their infiltration into the country

info_e12wt4csOpinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Abstract In his column Yours Truly Ideologically, Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro wrote a moving tribute in honour of the late Comrade Charles Kauraisa, who was at one point SWANU's Chairperson and Foreign Affairs Secretary at its External Council, established in Sweden in 1965. I don't personally know him, but I know my niece Ujama's father, also a Kauraisa, and I am not oblivious to the fact that they are truly grounded in revolutionary and Marxist theory. May his soul rest in peace. Sentimentality apart, what prompted us to write this piece is…

14 Aug

Over 12 000 voters update constituency details

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Justicia Shipena During the first week of the 2025 supplementary registration of voters (SRV), 12 270 voters changed their constituency, and 4 181 applied for duplicate voter registration cards, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) said on Wednesday. This comes as ECN's chief executive officer, Peter Shaama, revealed that a total of 19,359 eligible voters registered between 4 and 10 August. The registration covers all 121 constituencies and 59 local authorities and will conclude on 19 August. Shaama expressed concern over the low turnout and urged all eligible voters.Namibians will vote on 26 November in the regional council and local…