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BoN maintains 2026 GDP growth projection at 2.6%

BoN maintains 2026 GDP growth projection at 2.6%

CHAMWE KAIRA The Bank of Namibia has maintained its growth projections at 2.6% for 2026 and 2.9% for 2027, supported by expected gains in uranium mining, wholesale and retail trade, financial services, and public administration and defence. However, the central bank has warned that domestic economic activity weakened in the first four months of 2026, particularly in mining, manufacturing, tourism, electricity generation, construction, and communications. According to data cited by the Bank of Namibia, Namibia’s merchandise trade deficit widened to N$11.723 billion in the first four months of 2026, compared to N$11.267 billion over the same period in 2025, reflecting…
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Accounting and auditing oversight to be overhauled

Accounting and auditing oversight to be overhauled

CHAMWE KAIRA Minister of finance, Erica Shafudah, has tabled the Accountants and Auditors Regulatory Authority Bill in the National Assembly, setting the stage for a major overhaul of Namibia’s accounting and auditing regulatory framework. Shafudah said the legislation marks a “significant milestone” in strengthening financial accountability, enhancing transparency in reporting, and aligning Namibia’s professional standards with international best practice. The proposed law seeks to repeal and replace the Public Accountants’ and Auditors’ Act of 1951, which has governed the profession for over seven decades. According to the minister, the existing legal framework no longer reflects modern developments in the financial…
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SA inflation hit two-year high at 4.5% in May 

SA inflation hit two-year high at 4.5% in May 

CHAMWE KAIRA Consumer inflation in South Africa, Namibia’s biggest trading partner, jumped to 4.5% in May from 4% in April, Statistics South Africa announced on Wednesday.   This is the highest rate since July 2024, when it was 4.6%.  The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 0.7% in May. Namibia’s trade deficit in April increased to N$4.4 billion, up from N$2.1 billion in April 2025, with South Africa emerging as the country’s largest market for both exports and imports. The inflation surge was largely driven by increases in fuel prices. The fuel index recorded the second largest monthly…
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Mwatotele resigns from Stimulus Investments board

Mwatotele resigns from Stimulus Investments board

Staff Writer Stimulus Investments Limited has announced changes to its board of directors following the resignation of long-serving non-executive director, Josephat Mwatotele. In a notification issued in terms of paragraph 3.59 of the Namibia Securities Exchange (NSX) Listing Requirements, the company confirmed that Mwatotele resigned with effect from 12 June 2026. Mwatotele has served on the board since September 2015 and is stepping down after reaching the maximum allowable term in line with the company’s director appointment and succession policy. The company expressed appreciation for his contribution over nearly a decade of service, noting his role in supporting the firm’s…
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Sea transport leads country’s exports in April 

Sea transport leads country’s exports in April 

CHAMWE KAIRA Sea transport remained Namibia's leading export channel by value in April, accounting for N$3.8 billion or 39% of total exports, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency's (NSA) Namibia International Merchandise Trade Statistics Bulletin for April. The NSA said uranium, fish, and nickel ores and concentrates were the main commodities exported by sea during the month. Air transport ranked second, contributing 32% of total export value, driven largely by exports of non-monetary gold and diamonds. Road transport accounted for the remaining 29%, with petroleum oils, fish and fertilizers making up the bulk of exports moved by road. Despite sea…
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Good strategy dies in poor communication

Good strategy dies in poor communication

HILENI AMADHILA  Only 17% of senior leaders view internal communication as a strategic business enabler. That single insight should stop most organisations in their tracks. This figure comes from the 2026 Internal Communications and Culture Gulf Landscape Study, conducted across 179 organisations of different sizes and sectors. Nearly every company surveyed has an internal communications function. Almost all are communicating regularly, yet fewer than one in five leaders see communication as something that actively drives performance, alignment and results. That disconnect is not a perception problem, it’s a performance problem. When communication is viewed as tactical, it is used to…
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Boksburg 2026: The return of the blocs and a lesson for Africa and Namibia

Boksburg 2026: The return of the blocs and a lesson for Africa and Namibia

Lazarus Kwedhi Deng Xiaoping’s instruction to “seek truth from facts” still rings in our ears. The “Conference of the Left” held in Ekurhuleni on 29–31 May 2026, convened by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and attended by the EFF, MK Party, PAC, AZAPO, trade unions, and Pan-Africanist formations, should compel Namibian and African leaders to do exactly that – reflect. What we saw in Boksburg was not new. It signalled the return of the old communism versus capitalism blocs, reshaped for the 21st century. Same wine, different bottle.  During the Cold War, each bloc competed to win hearts at…
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The man at the traffic lights

The man at the traffic lights

“Fare thee well Bernardus Van Wyk”. Joshua Razikua Kaumbi Life is about the people we meet, randomly placed next to your seat. For every soul carries a lesson or spark, some bring the light, others walk in the dark. But each one reminds us [that] we’re not on our own, in this beautiful world we call our unknown. (Christina de Vries, edited) On Wednesday morning, en route to work I noticed that the corner of Thuringer Hof Hotel was empty. Before I could make sense of it, my mind was swept away by the fast-paced rhythm of our capital, until…
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Long-idle Omaruru building revived as TVET Centre

Erongo governor Nathalia /Goagoses has announced that the long-idle yellow building in Omaruru will open as a technical and vocational training centre in June/July this year, ending Erongo’s status as the only region without a fully-fledged TVET centre. /Goageses announced the opening of the yellow building at the ongoing State of the Regional Address (SORA) in Swakopmund. The centre will offer innovative courses, including green hydrogen and mineral analysis, with an initial N$2 million capital injection already secured. Reporter: Patience Makwele
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Bank of Namibia raised repo rate to 6.75%

Allexer Namundjembo Bank of Namibia Governor, Ebson Uanguta announced on Wednesday that the repo rate will increase by 25 basis points to 6.75%, effective immediately. The prime lending rate also increased by 25 basis points and moved to 10.25% Governor Uanguta said the Monetary Policy Committee decided to tighten policy to counter rising inflation and maintain the NAD/ZAR currency peg. Headline inflation has climbed to 4.1% in May 2026, up from 2.1% in March. The next MPC meeting is set for 10-11 August 2026.
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