Windhoek Observer – Windhoek Observer

02 Feb

Passenger demand rises as flights remain full

Observer Money

Staff Writer Global passenger demand reached record levels in 2025, even as airlines faced aircraft delivery delays, maintenance backlogs and rising costs that limited capacity growth, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said. In its full-year and December 2025 passenger market performance report released on 29 January 2026 in Geneva, IATA said total global demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, increased by 5.3% compared to 2024. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, rose by 5.2%, pushing the overall passenger load factor to a record 83.6% for the year. International travel drove most of the growth. Full-year international demand rose by…

02 Feb

Ninety One set to complete Sanlam acquisition this week

Observer Money

Staff Writer Global asset manager Ninety One expects to complete the South African leg of its acquisition of Sanlam Investment Management Proprietary Limited this week. This marks the start of a long-term strategic relationship with the Sanlam Group. The transaction follows joint announcements made by Ninety One and Sanlam in November 2024 and March 2025, when the two groups outlined plans to form a long-term active asset management partnership. The deal involves Ninety-One Limited acquiring all the shares in Sanlam Investment Management and formally launching an initial 15-year strategic relationship with Sanlam once the transaction is completed. As part of…

02 Feb

Immanuel blocks Beifang’s minimum wage exemption

Featured, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Justice and Labour Relations Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel said employers cannot choose to ignore the minimum wage. He said any exemption from the minimum wage order will only be allowed after proper talks with workers. Immanuel said chapter 3 of the Labour Act and the minimum wage order are mandatory unless a formal exemption is approved. He said employers who ignore these provisions face compliance orders and penalties. He made the remarks over the weekend after rejecting Beifang Mining’s exemption application linked to other labour standards at Swakop Uranium. Beifang sought approval to reduce the minimum rest period…

30 Jan

Naretu asks labour minister to step in at Namib Mills

National News

…Immanuel set to meet Namib Mills and union today Renthia Kaimbi The Namibian Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union (Naretu) has called on the government to urgently intervene in a labour dispute at Namib Mills. Naretu has formally asked the minister of justice and labour relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, to mediate the dispute between the union and the company. The appeal follows a strike by Namib Mill workers, which began earlier this month. In a letter dated 29 January and addressed to Immanuel, Naretu general secretary Petersen Kambinda said wage negotiations had broken down, resulting in a full strike and a…

30 Jan

Masua orders ‘office refreshments’ worth over N$4 000

Main, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Employees at the National Youth Council (NYC) are questioning why newly appointed interim executive chairperson Patience Masua ordered a personal selection of snacks worth more than N$4 000 as office refreshments during her second week in office. The issue comes amid criticism of Masua’s N$100 000 monthly salary for a three-month tenure. A detailed request seen by the Windhoek Observer lists liquifruit juices, romany creams and eet-sum-mor biscuits, barbecue-flavoured pringles, biltong including droëwors and sliced beef, dried fruits, granola bars, long-life milk, Douwe Egberts coffee, honey, mint sweets and Oasis still water. The items were submitted for procurement…

30 Jan

Lenacapavir gets green light in Namibia

National News

Justicia Shipena The Ministry of Health and Social Services has approved the registration of lenacapavir. Lenacapavir is a long-acting HIV prevention medicine administered twice a year. Lenacapavir is used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and is given as an injectable formulation. This differs from existing PrEP options, which require people to take tablets every day. Thousands of Namibians are currently using daily oral PrEP. Namibia has surpassed the 95-95-95 HIV targets set by UNAIDS. These targets require that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed receive treatment, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral…

30 Jan

Renovations at Sam Nujoma Stadium on track

National News

Allexer Namundjebo The City of Windhoek has announced that the renovation works at the Sam Nujoma Stadium are progressing, with a current focus on the open stands. The City of Windhoek announced the update on its social media platforms on Thursday. The municipality said construction teams have removed the concrete stairs behind the open stands, as well as most of the concrete slabs in that section of the stadium. “The next phase of the project will see the removal of seating panels to facilitate much-needed structural repairs beneath,” the municipality said. It added that once the seating is removed, workers…

30 Jan

Dear Inspector General Joseph Shikongo,

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

We write to you as the Windhoek Observer, and by extension on behalf of a concerned but hopeful Namibian public, to commend the Namibian Police Force for launching a national crime prevention operation scheduled to run from 30 January to 1 February across all 14 regions of our country. At face value, this is a welcome and necessary intervention. More importantly, it is long overdue. For far too long, crime has crept steadily into every corner of Namibian life, from our cities to our villages, from our homes to our places of work. What was once sporadic has become routine.…

30 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | #UNMUTED

Featured, Opinions

As we move deeper into 2026, the identity of the young Namibian professional is undergoing a quiet but radical transformation. We are no longer defined simply by the degrees we hold or the offices we occupy; we are defined by the complexity of the burdens we carry and the ingenuity of the "hustle" we have mastered. This edition of the Young Observer seeks to peel back the polished veneer of corporate success to reveal the raw, lived truths of our generation. From the high-stakes pressure of the Groove Economy to the systemic lockout of the Experience Paradox, we are navigating…

30 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | IshowSpeed and the battle for Namibia’s digital narrative

National News

The Windhoek afternoon was ordinary until it wasn't. When the American streamer IShowSpeed stepped off a plane in Namibia this month, he didn't arrive with the traditional entourage of a Hollywood star or the diplomatic protocol of a visiting head of state. He arrived with a smartphone, a stabilizer, and an audience of millions watching in real-time. It wasn’t just a celebrity moment; it was a profound glimpse into how dramatically the internet has restructured the concepts of visibility, influence, and national branding. In the space of a few hours, locations that rarely appear on global screens, from the dust-blown…