Windhoek Observer – Page 3 – Windhoek Observer

02 Dec

A promising vision, but can the new task forces deliver?

Editorial, Featured, Opinions

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s commissioning of the national task forces on economic recovery, health, and housing & land marks one of the clearest early signals of the 8th Administration’s intention to break from business-as-usual governance. The speech delivered was measured, sober, and deliberately forward-looking. It struck the necessary chords of unity, urgency, and institutional alignment. Yet, as with any initiative built on lofty ambition, the real test lies not in the unveiling but in the doing. The President’s framing of Namibia’s current challenges – rising living costs, constrained job creation, underperforming service delivery, a strained health system, and the persistent burdens…

02 Dec

From classroom to industry relevance: Why Africa needs problem-based learning

Featured, Opinions

More than ever, this is the moment for curriculum experts, educational planners, university leaders and policymakers to converge around a shared priority: implementing problem-based learning (PBL) to tackle unemployment, strengthen entrepreneurship and fix the persistent mismatch between graduate skills and the demands of industry. In January 2023, I was among a group of six students privileged to spend six months at Aalborg University in Denmark on an exchange programme. While I expected cultural surprises and harsh winter weather, nothing was as eye-opening as the university’s learning philosophy: problem-based learning. With graduate unemployment rising and frustration growing among young people across…

02 Dec

Eskom’s improved performance benefits Namibia’s grid

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia’s electricity security has improved after Eskom concluded firm power supply agreements with Namibia and Botswana, effective 1 April 2025. The agreements come as international demand for South African power rises due to drought conditions that have reduced supply from other regional sources. Eskom’s interim performance update for the six months ended 30 September 2025 shows Namibia is among the countries relying on South Africa as Eskom stabilises its generation fleet and improves reliability. On a non-firm basis, consumption from neighbouring states such as Eswatini, Lesotho, and Zambia also increased year-on-year, while the supply to Zimbabwe decreased due…

02 Dec

Namibia leads Africa in digital payments and green energy

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira A new RMB white paper on Africa’s economic future highlights Namibia as one of the continent’s key reformers, pointing to its progress in digital payments and its ambitious green hydrogen plans. According to the Continent at a Crossroads report, Namibia has become the first and only African country to integrate India’s Universal Payments Interface (UPI) into its national payments system. The agreement between the Bank of Namibia and India’s national payments coordinator will allow real-time, low-cost digital payments across borders. RMB says the move positions Namibia as a regional leader in interoperable financial technology. The report notes that…

02 Dec

Namibia’s agriculture, mining sectors face sharp divergence

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia’s primary industries are set for a mixed year in 2025, with deep losses in agriculture contrasting with a strong rebound in uranium mining, according to the Bank of Namibia’s December 2025 Economic Outlook Update. The Bank of Namibia projects a 4.2% contraction in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector in 2025, a widening from the 2.7% decline in 2024. The drop is driven mainly by a steep fall in livestock farming, which is expected to shrink by 22.5% as farmers work with reduced herds and limited feed after the 2024 drought. Despite the expectation of an improvement…

02 Dec

O&L confident in turnaround for Kraatz and Hangana units

Observer Money

Staff Writer The O&L Group says it remains confident in the recovery of businesses facing challenges, including Kraatz, Hangana Seafood and Hangana Abalone. The group says its strength lies in resilience and a clear long-term vision. “While each of our businesses looks different, our vision remains the same, and that is what it’s all about: a celebration of the authentic, caring and passionate businesses, leaders and teams behind the success of O&L,” chief experience officer Franziska Rüeck said. “Let us continue to build on this momentum as we step confidently into the next phase of our Vision 2029.” Founded in…

02 Dec

Namdeb partners with government to protect wildlife

Observer Money

Staff Writer Namdeb has strengthened its partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) by funding the establishment of a patrol camp in the Hardap National Park. The company donated N$280 000 for the camp, which will serve as the base for the wildlife protection service team recently deployed to the park. At the handover, Namdeb’s environmental manager, Nandeshasho Nickanor, said the company’s purpose of mining for good extends beyond diamonds. “By partnering with MEFT to establish this patrol camp, we are strengthening Namibia’s frontline defences against poaching and contributing to a shared national vision of safeguarding our…

01 Dec

A slap in the face to Trump: The EU-AU summit declaration hits US interests

Africa / World, Featured

In the final declaration of the 7th EU–AU Summit, adopted on November 25, 2025, in Luanda under the chairmanship of Angolan President João Lourenço, there is a passage about “volatility of tariffs and uncertainty in trade policy” that in Washington will almost certainly be perceived as a direct and undisguised criticism of the United States. The tariffs are quite unambiguously contrasted here with the “stability and predictable rules” that Europe supposedly offers to African countries. “We emphasise that growing uncertainty in trade policy and tariff volatility in global trade pose a challenge to the world economy. In this context, trade…

01 Dec

Nearly 10 000 votes rejected in regional and local elections

Main

Allexer Namundjembo A total of 9 458 ballots were rejected in the 2025 regional and local authority elections. Of these, 5 946 were rejected in the regional council election and 3 512 in the local authority election. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) completed the release of verified results for all 120 constituencies in the regional council elections over the weekend. Out of 1.49 million registered voters, only 609 013 cast their ballots. For the 59 local authority elections, 752 043 voters were registered and 272 942 voted. The ECN said it will review the high number of rejected ballots…

01 Dec

Court stops govt from shutting down deduction system

National News

Renthia Kaimbi The High Court has directed finance minister Ericah Shafudah not to interfere with the loading of new deductions onto the government’s payroll deductions management system (PDMS). The order, issued by High Court deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo on Friday, blocks the ministry’s plan to stop all new deductions on the system. Prinsloo granted permission for the PDMS to continue its operations until the hearing of the review application on 6 March 2026. The decision does not prevent the government from taking over the system later. The finance ministry plans to discontinue the use of deduction codes that allow…