Blog – Page 7 – Windhoek Observer

16 Mar

AfDB funding in Namibia reaches N$16.4 billion

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The African Development Bank (AfDB) has maintained an active investment portfolio in Namibia valued at about N$16.4 billion as of July 2025. The portfolio includes 10 operations made up of eight sovereign projects and two non-sovereign operations structured as lines of credit. It also includes four investment projects and four technical assistance initiatives. Most of the funding comes from AfDB loans, which account for about 99.2% of the portfolio. Additional support comes from four middle-income country technical assistance fund grants, one African water facility grant and one rural water and sanitation initiative grant. The finance sector holds the…

16 Mar

NSX overall index dips as local index rises

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The Namibian Securities Exchange recorded mixed performance during the trading week from 9 to 13 March, with the overall index declining while the local index increased slightly. The NSX Overall Index closed at 2 148.65 points, down 9.11 points, or 0.42%, from the previous week’s level of 2 157.76 points. Despite the weekly decline, the index remains slightly above its December 2025 level of 2,141.33 points. This represents a 0.34% increase since the start of the year. During 2026 the index reached a high of 2 408.59 points and a low of 2 141.86. The NSX Local Index…

16 Mar

Simonis Storm maintains ‘hold’ recommendation on Letshego Namibia

Observer Money

Staff Writer Simonis Storm has maintained a “hold” recommendation on Letshego Holdings Namibia Limited after reviewing the company’s financial results for the year ended 2025. The research firm said the results show strong growth in net interest income but noted that operating momentum remains moderate. Interest revenue calculated using the effective interest method increased to N$1.107 billion from N$954.2 million in the previous year. Interest expenses declined to N$382.9 million from N$404.9 million. Net interest income rose to N$723.9 million compared to N$549.3 million previously. According to the research note, the increase reflects improved margin capture and a stronger liability…

16 Mar

Rainbow flags poultry industry challenges as revenue rises to R8.8 billion

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira South African poultry producer Rainbow Chicken Limited reported higher revenue while warning that the poultry sector continues to face export constraints, logistics problems and rising disease control costs. The company said progress has been made under the poultry master plan introduced in 2019 to expand the poultry market and increase consumption. However, Rainbow said more work is needed to enable meaningful exports from South Africa’s poultry sector. One concern raised by the industry relates to uncertainty around the African Growth and Opportunity Ac (AGOA). Although the programme has been extended until 31 December 2026, the poultry sector remains…

13 Mar

Govt sets aside N$758 million for military training

National News, Uncategorised

Chamwe Kaira The government plans to spend more than N$758 million on military training and capacity building by the 2028/29 financial year as part of efforts to strengthen defence readiness. Medium-term expenditure plans show that spending on the programme will increase over the coming years. The allocation will rise from N$702.2 million in the revised 2025/26 budget to N$733.7 million in 2026/27, N$734.1 million in 2027/28 and N$758.4 million in 2028/29. Most of the funding will go to personnel expenditure. This expenditure is expected to increase from N$586.2 million in 2025/26 to N$639.9 million by 2028/29. Spending on goods and…

13 Mar

Funding constraints slow Windhoek housing projects

Main, National News

Patience Makwele Former and current members of the Windhoek council say some improvements were made in land servicing and municipal reforms, but the demand for housing continues to outpace supply. Windhoek’s population is estimated at about 486 186 residents. About 224 000 people live in informal settlements, placing pressure on housing and land delivery in the capital. Joseph Uapingene, a former councillor who served from 2020 to 2025, representing the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), said the council made progress in servicing land and facilitating housing development. According to Uapingene, the municipality serviced about 1,200 urban plots and about 800…

13 Mar

Mining chamber calls for tax on mining share sales to be based on profit

National News

Justicia Shipena Chamber of Mines of Namibia chief executive officer Veston Malango says a government-funded exploration fund would not be the right approach for the country's mining sector because exploration is a high-risk activity that should be financed by private investors. Speaking during a stakeholder engagement by the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) and industry representatives on Thursday, Malango said exploration projects often fail and should not rely on public funds. “Every time I hear that we are establishing an exploration fund, I get depressed. It is a bad idea because exploration is high risk,” Malango said. He said government resources…

13 Mar

Weak reporting could affect preferential procurement

National News

Allexer Namundjembo Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) researcher Frederico Links says preferential procurement rules in Namibia appear strong on paper but lack clear requirements for public disclosure. Links raised the concern in the latest Procurement Tracker Namibia bulletin released on Wednesday. He said weak transparency, limited data and poor compliance could affect the government’s plan to prioritise local and historically disadvantaged suppliers. “While reporting, monitoring and assessment requirements are included in the code, it does not state that any part of this should or must be open to public scrutiny,” Links said. The government has signalled that preferential procurement…

13 Mar

Namibia ready to implement industrial decarbonisation plan

National News

Justicia Shipena Namibia is ready to move from policy ambition to practical industrial implementation, the director general of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Kaire Mbuende, has said. He made the remarks during the industrial decarbonisation workshop, which examined opportunities under the Climate Investment Funds industrial decarbonisation programme. “Namibia now stands ready to move from policy ambition to industrial implementation. The Industrial Decarbonisation Programme offers a unique platform to build modern industries, strengthen infrastructure, create sustainable jobs, and accelerate inclusive economic growth,” Mbuende said. Mbuende said the programme gives Namibia access to up to US$250 million in concessional climate finance to…

13 Mar

Namibia must do better for its mining future

Editorial, Featured

Namibia prides itself on being one of Africa’s most stable and investment-friendly countries. We regularly remind the world of our democratic credentials, our respect for the rule of law and our political stability. These are indeed achievements worth celebrating. But when it comes to the mining sector, one of the pillars of our economy, the latest global assessment suggests that pride alone will not secure our future. The Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2025 places Namibia squarely in the middle of the global rankings. Out of 84 jurisdictions assessed worldwide, Namibia sits at 59th, with an investment attractiveness…