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Rundu councillor plans expansion of learner support initiative 

Rundu councillor plans expansion of learner support initiative 

Allexer Namundjebo Rundu councillor Patrick Kufuna has plans to expand the Kavango Kickstart Tour.  This is an initiative he launched to support learners with life-skills education and motivation beyond the classroom and has called on sponsors to support the programme. Kufuna said he started the tour in 2023 after noticing that many learners need guidance on issues not covered in textbooks. The programme brings together nurses, social workers, police officers and youth activists to speak to learners about crime prevention, mental health, road safety and hygiene. Kufuna said the tour uses music and performance to deliver these messages in a…
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Masake urges citizens to spend holidays farming

Masake urges citizens to spend holidays farming

Renthia Kaimbi The deputy minister of agriculture, Ruthy Masake, encouraged Namibians to use holidays and free time to work in agricultural fields instead of staying in towns.  She said practical farming work is important to help secure the country’s food supply. Working the land, according to Masake, is a national responsibility that not only supports households but also strengthens food production. “Fellow Namibians, instead of spending our holidays in towns, we should enjoy our time in the field. Let’s get dirty for some time. In the process, we’re going to become one of the producers of food,” she said over…
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Bold promise, a delicate test: welcoming the national pension and medical funds with caution

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s directive to the Social Security Commission (SSC) to implement a National Pension Fund (NPF) and a National Medical Benefit Fund (NMBF) by 1 April marks one of the most ambitious social policy announcements in recent years.  On paper, the move is progressive, humane and long overdue. It speaks directly to the anxieties of ordinary Namibians who worry about life after retirement and the ever-rising cost of healthcare. For that alone, the initiative deserves to be welcomed. Yet, ambition without execution has been the undoing of many well-intentioned reforms in Namibia. As the country cautiously applauds this announcement,…
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Winner takes all, the state loses: How political purges are hollowing out Namibia

Winner takes all, the state loses: How political purges are hollowing out Namibia

Last week, after laying my mother to rest, a retired Executive Director, what we used to call a Permanent Secretary, came to pay his respects. After the cultural formalities, we sat and spoke, as Namibians often do, about life. I asked him a simple question: what are you doing with yourself after retirement?  He shrugged, almost apologetically. “I’m just busy with a few things, here and there,” he said. There was no bitterness in his voice, only resignation. That moment stayed with me long after he left. Not because of the words themselves, but because of what they symbolised. Here…
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New Year full of empowerment and recommitment as mine workers

New Year full of empowerment and recommitment as mine workers

Shavuka Mbidhi The growth in Namibia's domestic economy is anchored by upbeat activities in the natural resources sector, namely mining. A look back at the economic stories of 2025 began with a radical policy shift geared towards addressing long-standing social constraints, including high levels of poverty and unemployment.  Undeniably, Namibia has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world, and youth unemployment stood at 37.3% in 2024.  Part of its Vision 2030, and under the current sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), the government focus is on promoting industrialisation, economic diversification, health and education, job creation, and social…
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Cattle sales fall to lowest level in nearly two decades

Cattle sales fall to lowest level in nearly two decades

Chamwe Kaira  Cattle marketing in Namibia fell to 192 300 head in 2025, the lowest level recorded since 2006, according to the Namibia Agriculture Union (NAU). The union said the decline does not signal weakness in the livestock sector but reflects decisions taken by producers in response to prolonged drought. “This decline should not be interpreted as a deterioration in the livestock sector; rather, it reflects a rational production response to prolonged drought conditions. Producers deliberately reduced offtake in order to prioritise herd rebuilding and restore productive capacity,” the union said. Cattle marketing had generally increased since 2006 and peaked…
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Treasury bills auction draws N$2.2 billion in bids

Treasury bills auction draws N$2.2 billion in bids

Chamwe Kaira  The Bank of Namibia (BoN), acting as agent for government debt issuance and management, conducted its first treasury bills auction for 2026 last Thursday, with demand remaining firm across all maturities. The auction, held on 29 January 2026, attracted total bids of about N$2.2 billion, with N$1.512 billion allocated across four treasury bill tenors.  The bills covered 90-day, 182-day, 273-day and 364-day maturities and all settled on 30 January.  Bid-to-cover ratios ranged between 1.10 and 1.97, showing continued investor interest in short-term government paper. For the 90-day treasury bill maturing on 30 April 2026, the government allocated N$352…
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International reserves rise to N$51.6 billion in December

International reserves rise to N$51.6 billion in December

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia’s stock of international reserves rose at the end of December 2025, supported mainly by net inflows of the South African rand and revaluation gains, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) has reported. Official reserves increased by 4.9% month-on-month to N$51.6 billion.  The rise was driven by strong net rand inflows linked to portfolio investment, as well as favourable price movements in some fixed-income securities held by the central bank. At this level, the international reserves were sufficient to cover an estimated 3.3 months of imports.  When oil and gas exploration and appraisal-related imports are excluded, import cover improves…
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Global air cargo volumes reach new high

Global air cargo volumes reach new high

Staff Writer Global air cargo demand reached a record level in 2025, according to full-year and December data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Full-year demand in 2025, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres, rose by 3.4% compared to 2024. International operations recorded higher growth of 4.2%.  Cargo capacity increased by 3.7% over the same period, with international capacity up by 5.1%. December 2025 closed the year on a strong note. Global demand was 4.3% higher than in December 2024, while international demand rose by 5.5%.  Global capacity increased by 4.5%, with international capacity up by 6.4%. IATA reported that…
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Passenger demand rises as flights remain full

Passenger demand rises as flights remain full

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…
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