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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

Renthia Kaimbi Gendev Fishing Group board chairperson Paulina Haindongo has denied claims that the company is using its workers to pressure the government for a larger fishing quota. Her response comes as Gendev considers retrenching 489 employees, a move that could raise job losses in Namibia’s wetland pelagic sector to about 1 100 since December. Haindongo challenged critics to produce proof. “It is not true that the company is using employees to force the government to give the company more quotas. Kindly provide us with the evidence where the company instructed the employees to pressure the government on quotas,” she…

Justicia Shipena The laundry unit at Okakarara District Hospital remains non-operational despite undergoing renovations. This was revealed on Tuesday during an oversight visit by the parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, health and social services. A total of N$15 million was allocated for the renovation of the hospital’s kitchen and laundry facilities. The funding was provided under the 2021/22 to 2023/24 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. Construction work on both facilities has been completed. However, the laundry unit has not started operating due to unresolved problems with the sewage system. In April 2024, then health minister Kalumbi Shangula said during the groundbreaking…

Justicia Shipena Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Sanet Steenkamp has warned officials in her ministry that if they get involved in corruption, they will be dismissed and may face criminal charges. Steenkamp delivered the warning during the ministry’s annual staff address on Wednesday.  She said corruption, especially in teacher appointments and the handling of public funds, will not be tolerated. “Any official involved in the solicitation or acceptance of money, favours or influence in appointments is committing serious misconduct and a criminal act,” she said.  “These practices, if proven, will result in disciplinary action, dismissal, and referral…