Page 3 – Windhoek Observer

15 Dec

Pepkor deepens presence in Namibia after choice clothing buy

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia remains strategic to Pepkor Holdings Limited, which has expanded its footprint in the country through recent acquisitions, including Choice Clothing. Pepkor’s annual financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2025 show that the group views Namibia as an important market within its Southern African operations, with further expansion expected beyond the 2025 financial year. The report states that Pepkor operates retail stores in Namibia across several business units. These include clothing, general merchandise, furniture, appliances and electronics. Namibia is listed among the group’s key foreign markets outside South Africa, alongside Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, and contributes…

15 Dec

Namibia ranks among Africa’s best on money-laundering controls

Observer Money

Staff Writer Namibia has recorded continued progress in strengthening its defences against money laundering and financial crime, according to the 2025 Basel Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Financial Crime Risk Index, Finance Intelligence Centre (FIC) director Bryan Eiseb has said. The country’s overall Basel AML Index score improved to 4.78 in 2025, from 4.89 in 2024 and 5.09 in 2023. The index uses a scale from 0 to 10, where lower scores indicate lower risk. Namibia is ranked as the fifth best-performing country in Africa. This places it among countries with the lowest exposure to money laundering and financial crime risks…

15 Dec

Bannerman sets Etango sustainability targets for 2026

Observer Money

Staff Writer Bannerman Energy has reported progress across its sustainability objectives for the 2025 reporting period and outlined new targets for 2026, focusing on safety, community investment, environmental management and governance at the Etango Project in Namibia. According to the company’s 2025 Sustainability Scorecard, Bannerman achieved 16 consecutive years without a lost-time injury. The company said this reflects its focus on safety leadership, the management of construction-related hazards and the timely closure of incident investigations. During the period, Bannerman expanded its social and community initiatives. The Early Learner Assistance Programme grew to support 400 early learners in the Omaheke region.…

15 Dec

Koryx Copper reports strong drill results at Haib

Observer Money

Staff Writer Koryx Copper Inc has reported encouraging assay results from nine drill holes totalling 4 007 metres at the Haib Copper Project in the south of the country. The drilling forms part of the company’s 2025 Phase 2 and 3 exploration programmes at the wholly owned project. Haib is an advanced open-pit porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold project. It is expected to produce copper concentrate through conventional crushing, milling and flotation, with potential additional output from heap leaching. Koryx Copper president and chief executive officer Heye Daun said, “The latest drill results reinforce the strong fundamentals of the Haib Copper Project. We…

15 Dec

Transnet posts improved interim performance as volumes rise

Observer Money

Staff Writer South Africa's state-owned logistics company, Transnet, has reported improved financial and operational performance for the six months ended September 30, 2025, supported by higher volumes across its rail, port, and pipeline operations. Revenue for the interim period rose by 8.8% to N$45.2 billion, from N$41.5 billion in the same period last year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation increased by 15.4% to N$15.7 billion. The loss for the period narrowed to N$1.8 billion from N$2.2 billion in 2024, a 17.7% year-on-year improvement. Transnet said the improved results were driven by higher volumes across the business. Rail volumes…

12 Dec

THE 2025 RWANDA–DRC PEACE ACCORD: DIPLOMATIC BREAKTHROUGH OR STRATEGIC EXTRACTION SCHEME?

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Introduction: A Washington signing, not an African victory In 2025, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “signed” the so-called Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. Cameras flashed. Leaders smiled. Headlines screamed “historic”. But the spectacle masked a raw truth: this was not a victory for African people. Peace was the narrative; minerals were the prize. Every handshake, every staged smile, hid the cold arithmetic of power. Inside the room, tension simmered. The principals wore politeness like armour. The mediator’s eyes lingered on the earth beneath their feet,…

12 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | Namibians who stopped the show in 2025

Featured

In every generation there are figures whose achievements capture national attention and inspire widespread admiration. In 2025, several Namibians did more than simply excel. They stopped the show by performing on global platforms, elevating national pride, breaking barriers, and reshaping cultural narratives. From global beauty stages to creative entrepreneurship and political leadership, these individuals demonstrated ambition, resilience, and excellence that reached far beyond Windhoek. This feature highlights some remarkable Namibians whose work defined the year and gave young people real stories of success to celebrate. Selma Kamanya: A global pageantry trailblazer One of the most memorable Namibian successes of 2025…

12 Dec

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

December often arrives with a unique intensity in Namibia. It brings an air of celebration, a sense of relief, and the familiar anticipation of gathering with loved ones after a demanding year. Yet beneath the lights, the music, and the busyness of the festive season, December also invites a quieter and more meaningful form of reflection. It is the one period in the year when many young people confront the reality of who they have become, what they have survived, and what they hope to build in the year that follows. For many young Namibians, 2025 has been a year…

12 Dec

Rent control: A terrible idea for Namibia, and a disastrous answer to the wrong question

Editorial, Featured

Namibia stands at a dangerous crossroads. Faced with an undeniable housing crisis, one driven by a chronic shortage of serviced land and formal units, the government is once again flirting with the illusion that administrative decrees can override economic reality. The push for a Rent Control Bill, still present in ministerial legislative plans, is not merely misguided. It is a profound policy error that risks strangling an already over-regulated economy, undermining investment, and worsening the housing crisis it claims to solve. Rent control is often sold as a compassionate intervention, a quick fix to high rents. But the global evidence…

12 Dec

Novo turns to competitors to staff Nust security contract

National News

Renthia Kaimbi Novo Security Services has started approaching companies that lost the N$40 million Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) security tender, asking them to help provide and manage the required services. This comes after Novo told the review panel it had the capacity to carry out the contract on its own. On 2 December 2025, Herman Nekomba contacted Namibia Protection Services (NPS) chief executive officer Fanie Horn with a request for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to manage security services at Nust for three years. He wrote that the anticipated start date was 1 January 2026 and asked…