Featured – Windhoek Observer

20 Apr

THE TURNING POINT | From “Ostora” to Ownership: A Call to Rethink Scale in Namibian Entrepreneurship

Featured, Opinions

The recent decision by Sintana Energy to pursue a listing on the Namibia Securities Exchange (NSX) should not be viewed as a routine corporate development. It is, in many respects, a moment of quiet significance, one that invites reflection on the structure, ambition, and trajectory of Namibian enterprise itself. As a Namibian entrepreneur, I applaud this move. Not merely because it signals confidence in our market, but because it underscores an uncomfortable truth: the pipeline of locally grown, especially black Namibian-owned, companies reaching the level of public listing remains deeply inadequate. The statistics are not just disappointing; they are structurally revealing. They point to…

20 Apr

Sossusvlei: When access becomes a luxury

Editorial, Featured

Few places on earth capture the imagination quite like Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Rising from the ancient sands of the Namib Desert, these landscapes are not merely tourist attractions; they are living symbols of Namibia’s identity, resilience, and natural inheritance. For generations, they have represented an open invitation to Namibians to experience the profound beauty of their country, an accessible wilderness that belonged to all. That understanding is now being fundamentally altered. At the centre of the controversy is a shift in how access to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei is managed. Historically, visitors, both local and international, could enter the Namib-Naukluft Park,…

17 Apr

‘My baby would have been alive’ — Mother speaks from prison

Featured, National News

Patience Makwele When Fiona, an inmate at the Windhoek Correctional Facility, realised she was pregnant at 17, fear set in. Months passed before her body showed signs of pregnancy. When she told the man she believed was responsible, he denied it and cut off contact. “I had missed my period for two months. But it didn’t click at first that I was pregnant because it was not something new; I always missed my periods for longer than five months.” “He blocked me everywhere; told me if I ever called him, he would make my life a living hell and he…

17 Apr

YOUNG OBSERVER | Graduates take any job to survive

Featured, National News

Patience Makwele The Asoli Progressive Party has raised concern over a growing gap between Namibia’s tertiary education system and labour market demands as a new group of graduates prepares to enter a strained job market. In a statement this week, party president Joseph Kauandenge questioned whether universities are equipping students with skills that match economic needs. He warned that many graduates face limited job opportunities after years of study. Kauandenge has called for a review of tertiary education programmes and stronger links between government, universities and the private sector. It also called for policies that help graduates enter the workforce.…

16 Apr

COASTAL OBSERVER | New climate policy talks begin in Erongo

Featured, National News

Renthia Kaimbi The Erongo Regional Council has started consultations to update Namibia’s climate policy. The discussions took place during a stakeholder workshop held on 9 and 10 April in Swakopmund. The meeting forms part of a national process to review the 2011 National Policy on Climate Change and align it with current challenges and commitments. The workshop brought together officials from the Erongo Regional Council, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF), as well as technical experts and development partners. Participants discussed policy gaps, coordination and implementation. The draft policy shows that Namibia…

16 Apr

COASTAL OBSERVER | Erongo leaders visit Langer Heinrich mine

Featured, National News

Renthia Kaimbi Erongo governor Nathalia ||Goagoses led a delegation from the Erongo Regional Council on a visit to the Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine on Tuesday to engage with the mining company and review its operations. The delegation included six constituency councillors from Walvis Bay Urban, Walvis Bay Rural, Arandis, Omaruru and Karibib, as well as chief regional officer Sam Ntelamo and other senior officials. The visit started with a meeting where managing director Johan Roux and his team received the delegation. Scott Barber from Paladin Energy also attended. Company officials, including the safety officer, human resources team and mine manager,…

15 Apr

Comply or pay: Mbandeka’s warning must not be ignored

Editorial, Featured

Namibia’s public institutions have been put on notice, and this time, the warning is not wrapped in bureaucratic niceties. It is blunt, urgent, and overdue. Festus Mbandeka has sounded the alarm: failure by state institutions to comply with existing laws is costing the government dearly, in courtrooms, in public funds, and in credibility. This is not a theoretical concern. It is a systemic problem that has quietly drained state resources and eroded public trust for years. What Mbandeka has done is simply to say out loud what many insiders already know, that too many government entities operate with a dangerous…

13 Apr

TURNING POINT | Cape Fria and the crisis of trust: Why government must reset its relationship with Namibian entrepreneurs

Featured, Opinions

The renewed national conversation around the proposed Cape Fria harbour development is both timely and necessary. For decades, Cape Fria has occupied a near-mythical space in Namibia’s development imagination, a strategic deep-water port on our northern coastline that could unlock regional trade, stimulate industrialisation, and rebalance economic activity away from the traditional Walvis Bay–centric axis. From a purely academic standpoint, the logic is compelling. Namibia sits at the crossroads of southern Africa, with direct access to landlocked economies such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A well-executed harbour at Cape Fria would not only complement…

09 Apr

OBSERVER COASTAL | Ministry condemns tyre burning at Walvis Bay landfill

Featured, Uncategorised

Renthia Kaimbi The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has condemned the burning of tyres at the Walvis Bay landfill. Environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti said the ministry is taking steps to address the situation. “The reported burning of tyres at the landfill is a regrettable incident that the ministry strongly condemns,” he said on Wednesday. “Such activity releases dangerous pollutants into the air, posing serious health risks to both people and animals, while significantly compromising air quality.” Mufeti said burning tyres near towns is not allowed under environmental laws and warned that such practices cannot continue. The response follows complaints…

09 Apr

OBSERVER COASTAL | Revamped Arandis open market aims to grow informal trade

Featured, Uncategorised

Renthia Kaimbi The refurbished open market in Arandis has reopened. The upgrade was led by Orano Mining Namibia in partnership with the Arandis Town Council. The project was completed at the end of 2025 at a cost of N$300 000 and officially opened last week. The market was first built in 2012 with an investment of N$500 000 by Orano, then operating as AREVA Namibia. It was introduced after a 2005 study found that many small business owners were operating from their homes due to a lack of trading space. The upgraded facility now includes 16 business units and shared…