Windhoek Observer

13219 Posts
Plans for national airline in final stage

Plans for national airline in final stage

Chamwe Kaira  The government is moving ahead with plans to launch a new national airline, Namibia Air, before the end of 2026, as concerns grow over transparency and oversight. Minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus said the process is underway and the airline will not be a revival of Air Namibia but a new entity. She said a technical team is reviewing different operating models, including possible partnerships with international airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines.  The team will submit its findings to the line minister before Cabinet makes a final decision. No exact launch date has been set.…
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Haib mine life could extend beyond 35 years

Haib mine life could extend beyond 35 years

Chamwe Kaira  Koryx Copper has reported an increase in the estimated copper at its Haib project in southern Namibia, raising the total from 2.6 million tonnes to 3.5 million tonnes. The company said the higher estimate could extend the life of the project.  Haib is planned as a large open-pit mine where copper will be extracted and processed on site. It is expected to produce about 9 000 tonnes of copper per year. An earlier study showed the project could be viable. The updated figures point to a longer mine life and an improved outlook. Koryx Copper chief executive Heye…
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AFDB provides N$400m to support DBN’s women initiative

AFDB provides N$400m to support DBN’s women initiative

Chamwe Kaira  The African Development Bank has provided N$400 million to support a new women-focused financing initiative by the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) aimed at boosting women’s participation in the economy. The initiative, called DBN For Her, was launched in Windhoek this week. It is designed to support businesses that are fully owned by women by giving them access to funding to start, grow and expand. Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah said the programme responds to barriers that limit women’s economic participation. “DBN For Her represents a deliberate and strategic response to structural imbalances in our economy. It is not…
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ABC to split shares three-for-one

ABC to split shares three-for-one

Chamwe Kaira  Africa Bitcoin Corporation Limited (ABC) has proposed a share split and changes to its memorandum of incorporation, a move that will affect its listing on the Namibian Stock Exchange. The company, which is listed on the JSE Limited and the NSX under the code BAN, plans a three-for-one subdivision of its ordinary shares. Under the proposal, shareholders will receive three shares for every one they currently hold. The change will not affect ownership or the company’s overall value. The board said the aim is to improve liquidity and make the shares more accessible to investors.  A lower share…
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Ultimate Safaris expands global guide exchange

Ultimate Safaris expands global guide exchange

Staff Writer Ultimate Safaris has continued its international guide exchange programme, marking its fourth year and investing more than N$400 000 since it began. Each year, the “Ultimate Guide of the Year” travels to Baja California in Mexico for a three-week experience with Todos Santos Eco Adventures. Peter Nuugonya, the 2025 winner, took part in the programme this year. He grew up in a village near Ondangwa, where he learned to track animals from a young age. Nuugonya started his career at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge in the NamibRand Nature Reserve as a barman before moving into guiding. Over time, he…
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Woolworths awards new CEO R70m in shares

Woolworths awards new CEO R70m in shares

Chamwe Kaira  Woolworths Holdings Limited has awarded incoming Group CEO Sam Ngumeni a once-off share award valued at about R69.7 million. The award includes 995,715 shares bought on the open market by the Woolworths Holdings Share Trust.  Based on a share price of about R70, the total value is just under R70 million. The shares form part of a performance-based incentive. They will vest over five years until June 2031 if set targets are met. These targets include share price growth, headline earnings per share and returns on capital employed. The shares will be held in escrow during the vesting…
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Namibia ranks in top three in African gender disparity

Namibia ranks in top three in African gender disparity

Retuura Ballotti Namibia continues to distinguish itself as a continental leader in gender equality, supported by strong national institutions and sustained policy reforms. Research from the African Development Bank’s 2025 Gender Brief places Namibia among the top three African countries with the least gender disparity, driven by consistently high education completion rates among girls and a growing presence of women in strategic decision‑making roles. Women make up 51.8% of the national population, and the country’s empowerment and representation scores outperform continental averages, underscoring a social environment that increasingly supports gender equity. This national trajectory provides a fertile foundation for organisations…
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Are poverty and inequality challenges or structural realities of capitalism?

Are poverty and inequality challenges or structural realities of capitalism?

By the President’s own admission in her 36th Independence Anniversary statement and speech, Namibia is facing poverty and inequality. That is a fact! However, what is not clear and what the country must come to terms with through a national dialogue is what these socio-economic evils, for a lack of a better term, represent.  Challenges as Her Excellency maintains. Or are they fundamental factors of the capitalist system? Because unless the country addresses these varying interpretations and understandings as they seem between and among those, like Her Excellency, who think poverty and inequality are just challenges, and those who think…
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The urgent call beyond the rhetoric of One Namibia, One Nation

The urgent call beyond the rhetoric of One Namibia, One Nation

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) On 21 March 2026, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah stood before the nation and invoked a familiar but powerful refrain: “One Namibia, One Nation.” It is a phrase or slogan deeply embedded in the country’s post-independence identity and a moral anchor forged in the transition from colonial rule to sovereign statehood. Yet, in her speech, unity did not sound like a settled achievement. It sounded like a warning. Her emphasis on unity must be read not as ceremonial rhetoric but as a political signal. When a head of state stresses the dangers…
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From promise to practice: Rethinking Namibia’s jobs conversation

From promise to practice: Rethinking Namibia’s jobs conversation

Hopolang Phororo Almost every day, Namibia’s newspapers carry a story about jobs. One day it highlights youth empowerment initiatives, such as MTC’s 4Life programme. Another day it is a sobering reminder that more than 70% of working individuals are unable to save or build generational wealth because unemployed relatives depend on them.  On another day, we read about efforts such as the National Youth Development Fund supporting young entrepreneurs. And we also hear about TVET as a pathway to economic emancipation. Different headlines. Different angles. But they all point to the same reality: jobs and livelihoods matter deeply to Namibians. …
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