Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira  Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) continue to face structural challenges despite their role in creating jobs and supporting incomes. A study by the African Development Bank (AfDB) says the sector is affected by limited skills, weak market penetration, high financing costs, restricted access to land and low levels of technology use. The report says MSMEs also face infrastructure gaps, limited business support services and relatively low levels of entrepreneurship. These factors continue to slow the sector’s growth. More than 70 000 MSMEs operate in Namibia. The sector contributes about 12% to the country’s gross domestic product and…

Chamwe Kaira  Paladin Energy is increasing production at the Langer Heinrich Mine as the company moves through the final stage of its ramp-up plan. The company said 2.3 million pounds of uranium oxide (U₃O₈) were produced during the first half of the 2026 financial year. Production for the full financial year is expected to reach the upper end of the guidance range of 4 million to 4.4 million pounds. Paladin stated that the rising global demand for nuclear energy supports the ramp-up. The company said demand is being driven by the existing nuclear reactor fleet, reactors under construction and the…

Chamwe Kaira  The imposition of a 15% tariff on Namibian exports by the United States reduced Namibia’s trade surplus with the US during the first half of 2025. This was revealed in the Namibia country strategy paper for 2025–2030 released by the African Development Bank in Windhoek last week. The report states that Namibia’s trade surplus with the United States declined to about N$331 million in the first half of 2025, down from about N$416 million during the same period in 2024. The tariff affected key export sectors such as diamonds, marble and salt. Diamonds were previously exported duty-free under…

Staff Writer  Nedbank Namibia has appointed John James Tromp as head of consumer banking, effective 1 March 2026. The consumer banking portfolio includes private banking, private wealth, retail banking and lending. The bank said Tromp previously served as head of business banking. In that role, he worked with business clients across the country and gained experience in how financial services affect both households and businesses. Nedbank said this experience gives him insight into the link between household financial stability and wider economic activity. The bank said the appointment comes at a time when financial inclusion, responsible lending and access to…

Chamwe Kaira  The drafting of the Cybercrime Bill has been completed and the legislation is expected to be submitted to Parliament this month. The bill was prepared after consultations with key stakeholders and will undergo a validation workshop before submission. This information was revealed in the estimates of revenue, income and expenditure released by the Ministry of Finance as part of the 2026/27 national budget. The document also states that the Data Protection Bill has already been approved by the cabinet committee on legislation. The bill has been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations for further review.…

Pepkor is seeking a banking chief as Africa’s biggest seller of clothing and mobile phones plans to open branches using its store network in South Africa to reach millions of lower-income customers. The senior leader will be responsible for driving the shift to a “fully integrated transactional-banking model” across more than 2 500 outlets in South Africa, the Cape Town-based company said in a job posting dated 11 March. “This is a critical role that demands an entrepreneurial spirit, a deep understanding of retail banking, and the ability to execute large-scale strategic initiatives,” the company said. Pepkor got approval last…

Chamwe Kaira  Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power Limited (Anirep) has commissioned its first utility-scale battery energy storage system at its solar plant in Otjiwarongo. The system is a 3-megawatt and 10-megawatt-hour battery facility integrated with the expanded 13.42-megawatt peak solar photovoltaic plant. Anirep managing director Iyaloo ya Nangolo said the development marks a step toward improving the reliability of Namibia’s electricity supply. The battery system stores excess solar power generated during the day and releases it later when demand increases. This allows electricity produced during peak sunlight hours to be used in the evening when solar generation is not available.…

Chamwe Kaira  SBN Holdings Limited, the parent company of Standard Bank Namibia, reported a 12.8% increase in profit for the year ended 31 December 2025. Profit after tax rose to N$1.187 billion compared to N$1.053 billion recorded in 2024, according to the group’s audited consolidated financial results. The group said the increase was supported by revenue growth, expansion of the loan book, cost control and lower credit impairments. Net income before tax for the period stood at N$1.649 billion. The bank said stable net interest income and improved credit conditions supported its performance during the year. Basic earnings per share…

Chamwe Kaira  Stimulus Investments Limited has issued a cautionary announcement advising shareholders that ongoing negotiations could affect the price of its preference shares. The company said discussions are still underway and could have a material impact on the value of its listed securities if concluded. Stimulus urged shareholders to exercise caution when trading in its preference shares until more information is released. The latest notice follows earlier cautionary announcements issued on 14 August 2025, 25 September 2025, 6 November 2025 and 12 January 2026. Stimulus, which is listed on the Namibia Securities Exchange under the share code SILP, did not…

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…