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BoN makes changes to its senior leadership

BoN makes changes to its senior leadership

Staff Writer  The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has announced changes to its senior leadership, including promotions and new role assignments. The changes follow the recent appointment of Nicholas Mukasa as deputy governor and the move of Florette Nakusera to the Macro-Economic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa. BoN said it is taking a structured approach to leadership changes to strengthen its operations. “This approach aims to preserve institutional knowledge while developing well-rounded central bankers with cross-functional expertise. In doing so, the bank mitigates concentration risk, strengthens succession planning, and enhances institutional versatility,” BoN said. Moudi Hangula has…
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FlyNamibia says 67% of costs are beyond its control

FlyNamibia says 67% of costs are beyond its control

Chamwe Kaira  FlyNamibia says about 67% of its operating costs are price-driven and remain outside its control. The airline said it is effectively a price taker on key inputs such as fuel and other charges. The response follows public concern over ticket prices for flights to Ondangwa.  On Wednesday, works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi said he has given the airline six months to reduce fares. He said a flight to Ondangwa costs more than N$9 000, while a flight to Cape Town is about half that price. Nekundi warned that the government may step in and regulate ticket prices…
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Clicks pays out N$527m to loyalty members

Clicks pays out N$527m to loyalty members

Chamwe Kaira  Clicks Group says its ClubCard members, including those in Namibia, earned N$527 million in cashback over the six months to 28 February 2026. The group reported this in its unaudited interim results. Active ClubCard membership grew by 800 000 to 12.9 million. Members contributed 83.7% of total sales. During the period, the group opened its 1000th store, bringing the total to 1003 outlets. Its pharmacy network increased to 795 stores. Group turnover rose by 7.4% to N$24.9 billion. Retail turnover, which includes Clicks, UniCare, The Body Shop and Sorbet stores, increased by 5.4%. Comparable store turnover grew by…
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Cashbuild reports modest growth in quarterly results

Cashbuild reports modest growth in quarterly results

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia and other Common Monetary Area (CMA) countries' segments contributed 6% of total sales of building materials retailer Cashbuild for the third quarter of its 2026 financial year. The segment grew by 4% and maintained similar growth levels year to date. Growth came from existing stores, with no contribution from new outlets. Cashbuild said it recorded modest growth in its latest operating segment results. Total sales grew by 3%. New stores contributed 2%, while existing stores added 1%. Year-to-date growth stood at 5%, supported by 3% from new stores and 2% from existing outlets. South Africa remained the…
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Forget a classless society, forward with capitalism regarding public health care!

Forget a classless society, forward with capitalism regarding public health care!

Kae Matundu - Tjiparuro THROUGH a recent report in a local English daily, headlined "Govt hospital’s ‘elite wing’ raises eyebrows", Namibia was and has been awakened to the harsh fact that the ideal of a classless society upon the attainment of independence, which has been seeming remote, shall never be. Not to mention if it ever was genuinely meant. That a classless society in an independent Namibia shall never be may not come from the Swapo of Namibia itself. Indeed, it has long been coming since independence: all talks about a classless society upon independence, or after, and it has…
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Swapo@66: Governing without ideology or a drift and the limits of liberation politics?

Swapo@66: Governing without ideology or a drift and the limits of liberation politics?

Paul T. Shipale (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) A crisis not of power, but of thought. After the thought-provoking editorial penned down by the Windhoek Observer on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of Swapo, one could not help but admire the accuracy of the analysis, especially when it refers to a drift and a loss of intellectual compass, ideological clarity, and, perhaps most dangerously, its sense of purpose, said the editorial. Indeed, for a party that once embodied ideological clarity, rooted in anti-colonial struggle, social justice, and a defined vision of economic transformation, it now appears ideologically…
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Why social impact assessment must guide Namibia’s extractive future

Why social impact assessment must guide Namibia’s extractive future

Omagano Nampweya Namibia is entering a defining extractive moment. From offshore oil and gas discoveries to renewed mining expansion, the country is experiencing a surge of resource interest that promises revenue, jobs and global repositioning.  Headlines speak of transformation. Political speeches emphasise opportunity. Communities debate what this momentum could mean for livelihoods and local economies. This national conversation is healthy. It signals that Namibians care deeply about their development. But as extractive ambition accelerates, one question demands greater attention: Are our social governance tools strong enough to manage the scale of change being proposed? The debate unfolding in the Leonardville…
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All hands on deck: Nandi-Ndaitwah, Witbooi, Ngurare and Zamwaani chart a new course for Namibia’s fishing industry

In a political climate often defined by distance between policymakers and the sectors they regulate, the Namibian government’s decision to dispatch its most senior leadership to the coast for direct consultations with the fishing industry stands out as both rare and commendable. It's unprecedented. The presence of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Lucia Witbooi, Elijah Ngurare and Inge Zamwaani in one room with industry stakeholders is not merely symbolic; it is a deliberate acknowledgement that the fishing sector, anchored along the cold and productive waters of the Atlantic Ocean, is far too important to be managed through fragmented dialogue or bureaucratic detachment. This…
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Tourism industry pushes back on Ultimate Safaris probe …claims NaCC’s investigation is selective and unfair

Tourism industry pushes back on Ultimate Safaris probe …claims NaCC’s investigation is selective and unfair

Renthia Kaimbi The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) has questioned why similar exclusive tourism agreements in national parks have not faced scrutiny, such as those of venture arrangements in the Brandberg area. This week, the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) launched an investigation into joint-venture arrangements in the Brandberg area. The investigation targets Ultimate Safaris and three conservancies, Doro !Nawas Conservancy, Uibasen Twyfelfontein Conservancy and Sorris Sorris Conservancy.  It focuses on agreements that grant exclusive tourism rights, which may limit access for other operators. HAN chief executive officer Gitta Paetzold, in a letter dated 21 April 2026 to NaCC, said the…
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Disability conference flops after Ngurare’s no show directive 

Disability conference flops after Ngurare’s no show directive 

Justicia Shipena  The government withdrew its participation from the Disability Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Conference shortly before it was due to begin in Windhoek. A conference on disability and inclusion failed to take place after the government withdrew its participation. The conference was cancelled shortly before it was due to begin in Windhoek. The Disability Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Conference, organised by the Intelligence Transfer Centre, was set to start on Wednesday but was postponed hours before opening. A directive from the Office of the Prime Minister dated 17 April 2026, seen by the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday night, instructed…
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