Windhoek Observer

Windhoek – BFS Fund Manager has appointed Theopolina Kapani-Emvula as its new Chief Executive Officer, signalling a renewed push to expand financing support for Namibia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Kapani-Emvula, who assumed the role in December 2025, takes over at a time when access to capital remains a key constraint for many local businesses. Her mandate includes steering the organisation’s strategic direction and strengthening its position as a funding partner to SMEs seeking to scale operations and participate more meaningfully in the economy. She brings a diverse professional background spanning engineering, infrastructure advisory and project finance, with experience gained…

Staff Writer Foschini Group Limited (TFG) reported higher sales in its Africa business in the fourth quarter of the 2026 financial year to date. TFG said sales in TFG Africa rose by 7.6% compared to the same period last year. The company said this reflects improved trading and the impact of the dissipation of the previous year’s two-pot retirement fund release. Year-to-date sales in TFG Africa increased by 5.2%, supported by growth in online sales and value-added revenues. Gross margins have normalised since January but remain below levels needed to recover losses recorded earlier in the financial year, including during…

Mary Vilakazi, who financed her education through scholarships and a bursary, rose from a township to lead one of Africa’s largest financial institutions by market cap, FirstRand Group. Vilakazi first joined the group in 2018, where she served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) until her appointment as CEO in 2024. Before FirstRand, she was the deputy CEO of MMI Holdings, an insurance-based financial services firm, where she worked for nearly four years. At 27, she started working for PwC, where she became one of the firm’s youngest partners worldwide. In 2016, Vilakazi was named a World Economic Forum Young Global…