Blog – Page 23 – Windhoek Observer

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…

30 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | Black tax and the Namibian middle class

National News

The Namibian middle class is often described as an aspirational group, defined by car loans, suburban rentals, and the quiet prestige of a corporate badge. Yet, if you look at the bank statements of most young professionals in Windhoek, Swakopmund, or Oshakati, a different story emerges. It is a story of a zero-sum existence where the salary is merely a transit point. For the first-generation professional who is the child of a domestic worker, a teacher, or a subsistence farmer, the pay cheque is not a personal asset; it is a communal fund. This is the reality of black tax,…

30 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | The N$75 000 barrier: why unit trusts are the gate kept wealth of Namibia’s youth

National News

For the young Namibian professional, the world of investing often feels like an invitation to a party where you aren't allowed past the velvet rope. You’ve done the hard work – secured the degree, survived the gruelling entry-level years and finally carved out a small surplus from your salary after black tax and rent. You are told that the secret to wealth is "compound interest" and "diversification". You are told to look at unit trusts, the gold standard for long-term growth. But when you finally sit down with a prospectus from one of Namibia’s leading asset management firms, you are…

30 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | Namibia’s brain drain and the experience paradox

National News

There is a specific kind of silence that haunts the departure lounges of Hosea Kutako International Airport. It is not the silence of a holiday-goer or a business traveller, but the heavy, resolute quiet of a young professional carrying a one-way ticket and a master’s degree. For decades, the narrative of the Namibian dream was simple: study hard, get your degree, and contribute to the "House" that our ancestors built. But in 2026, that house feels increasingly like a gated community where the keys are held by a generation that refuses to step aside, leaving the youth to peer through…

30 Jan

YOUNG OBSERVER | The glass ceiling: alcohol, anxiety and the price of professional belonging

National News

The Windhoek Friday-night air has a specific scent: a mixture of expensive perfumes, expensive exhaust fumes, and the sharp, yeasty promise of the first cold draught. For the city’s young professionals, the weekend doesn't begin with a sigh of relief, but with a shift in gear. This is the entry into the Groove Economy - a space where the lines between social leisure and professional survival are increasingly blurred. But beneath the polished Instagram stories and the clinking of premium gin glasses, a quieter, more dangerous trend is emerging. For many young Namibians in their 20s and 30s, groove has…

30 Jan

Zaamwani urges an end to slow processes in agriculture

National News

Justicia Shipena The minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform, Inge Zaamwani, has warned that bureaucratic delays and slow systems are holding back service delivery in agriculture. She said the sector is central to food security, water access and land reform. She spoke at the annual staff address of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform in Windhoek on Thursday. Zaamwani said the ministry must move away from paper-driven processes and focus on results that improve people’s lives. “Our performance culture has to change towards impact-orientated results. We must eliminate bureaucratic delays and expedite procurement,” she said.…

30 Jan

NaCC approves Ongava–Epacha merger

National News

Allexer Namundjebo The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has approved the merger between Ongava Game Reserve (Pty) Ltd and Epacha Nature Estate (Pty) Ltd. The approval was published in the government gazette of 20 January 2026. The commission received notification of the proposed transaction on 22 October 2025 and approved it without conditions. The NaCC found that the merger is unlikely to reduce or harm competition in Namibia. The commission noted, however, that it retains the power under section 48(1) of the Act to revoke its approval if it later emerges that the decision was based on materially incorrect or misleading…

30 Jan

Stimulus sells 7.2% share in Cymot

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Stimulus Investments Limited has sold a 7.2% stake in Cymot Investments (Pty) Ltd and renewed a cautionary notice to shareholders. In a voluntary update issued on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE), the Namibia-incorporated investment holding company said it concluded the transaction to partially exit its investment in Cymot. The sale increases the shareholding of the Cymot Employee Share Trust, allowing greater ownership by employees within the Cymot Group. Stimulus said the transaction was settled in cash. After the sale, the company retains a 25.1% shareholding in Cymot Investments. The company also advised shareholders that it has entered into…

30 Jan

Investors show strong appetite for Namibia treasury bills

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The Bank of Namibia (BoN) was scheduled to return to the market on Thursday with a treasury bill auction totalling N$1.51 billion across the 91-, 182-, 273- and 364-day maturities. According to Simonis Storm, system liquidity rose slightly to N$5.3 billion from N$5.2 billion at the previous auction. “This suggests a modest reduction in incremental funding capacity among banks, which could slightly temper participation at the margin. Namibia's position liquidity, however, declined more sharply to N$569 million from N$1 billion previously,” Simonis Storm said. Despite the drop in position liquidity, recent auction results show that overall conditions remain…