National News

Renthia Kaimbi The Namibia International Energy Conference (NIEC) has secured sponsorship from Rhino Resources for its 2026 event.  Rhino Resources has signed on as an emerald sponsor for the conference.  The eighth edition of the conference will take place from 14 to 16 April 2026 in Windhoek.  It will bring together government officials, international energy companies, investors and service providers to discuss the future of the country’s energy sector. Rhino Resources holds Petroleum Exploration Licence 85 (PEL85) in the Orange Basin. The company has recorded a series of exploration successes that have helped position the basin as an emerging offshore…

Allexer Namundjembo Nomad Aviation (Pty) Ltd, trading as Bay Air and based in Walvis Bay, has applied for amendments to its aerial works, non-scheduled and scheduled air services licences.  The applications were published in a government gazette dated 16 January 2026. They show that the company is seeking approval to add two AW139 aircraft to its fleet under all three licence categories and to operate passenger and cargo services. The applications are motivated by the company’s plans to expand its services and operate these types of aircraft. For its aerial works and non-scheduled air services licences, Nomad Aviation proposes hourly…

Renthia Kaimbi Fisheries authorities across Africa are strengthening cooperation to block ports from receiving illegally caught fish. The push focuses on implementing the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), an international treaty aimed at stopping illegal seafood from entering local markets and global trade. The approach was discussed this week at a regional meeting in Ghana involving the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC). The meeting highlighted a two-track strategy. One track strengthens regional coordination bodies. The other equips port inspectors with intelligence and technology to enforce controls. The chairperson…

Renthia Kaimbi Former Walvis Bay local authority councillor Ryan Gordon has taken it upon himself to organise pothole repairs in Narraville.  Gordon, who lives in Narraville, told Observer Coastal that he started the initiative after seeing no response from pothole repair teams contracted by the Walvis Bay Municipality. He also criticised the quality and durability of repair work done in other parts of town. “It’s a lot of money that they got paid, and you’ll see that they are busy in the street, then off to another, but within a month, you’ll see potholes pop up again where they already…

Renthia Kaimbi Blue Girls Netball Club of Swakopmund has lodged a formal protest over its exclusion from the 2026 MTC Namibia Netball Premier League playoffs.  The club is accusing Netball Namibia of unfair procedures and inconsistent application of its rules. The dispute follows a communication issued by Netball Namibia on 24 October 2025 confirming the teams that qualified for the playoffs.  The list did not include the Erongo Region champions. Netball Namibia president Juanita Witbeen told Observer Coastal that regions which failed to meet administrative deadlines were excluded from the process. In a detailed letter addressed to Witbeen, Blue Girls…

Renthia Kaimbi IShowSpeed arrived in Namibia yesterday for a brief visit, spending a single day touring sites around Windhoek before departing later that night. The visit followed a cancelled stop last month during his “Speed Does Africa” tour, after the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) denied a permit for his private aircraft. This was because his aviation permit requirements were not submitted on time. This time, the popular streamer, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr, compressed several local experiences into a few hours. His itinerary, confirmed to the Windhoek Observer, included a visit to a Himba village at Tjiri…

Justicia Shipena Former National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) managing director Immanuel Mulunga has asked the High Court to condone the late filing of his heads of argument in his bail appeal.  Mulunga explained that circumstances beyond his control caused the delay, which did not prejudice the State. Mulunga recently filed a founding affidavit in the High Court, stating that he had to submit his heads of argument by 19 December 2025.  He explained that he only managed to file them on 31 December after receiving a court record running to 4 797 pages. Mulunga states that on the deadline…

Staff Writer  Namibia has ranked first in Africa in the Market Perception Pillar of the StartupBlink Innovators Business Environment Index 2026.  This places the country at the top of the continent for institutional trust and governance credibility. The ranking, released on Tuesday by StartupBlink, also places Namibia first in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Africa in the same category.  The index measures the conditions that support innovation, with a focus on ease of doing business, incentives and market perception.  It covers more than 125 countries and draws on over 30 indicators to assess how easily businesses can start, operate and build…