Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira  Retail conditions in Namibia are among the factors affecting profitability at regional supermarket group Choppies Enterprises Limited, which expects lower earnings for the six months ended 31 December 2025. Choppies Enterprises Limited expects its profit after tax from continuing operations to fall by between 28% and 38% for the six months ended 31 December 2025. The Botswana-based supermarket group said profit after tax from total operations is forecast to decline by between 4% and 14% compared with the same period last year. In a trading statement to the Botswana Stock Exchange and JSE Limited, the company said several regional…

Staff Writer  Namibian private equity firm Tulive Private Equity has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Tanzania to support the establishment of a carbon registry and carbon agency in Zanzibar. The agreement was signed on 26 February 2026 and forms part of the firm’s expansion into other African markets. The proposed carbon registry will create a system to collect carbon-related revenue from aviation and maritime operators transporting cargo and passengers to and from Zanzibar. Unlike traditional carbon credit or tax systems that focus on emissions produced within a country, the proposed registry will target operators whose air…

Chamwe Chaira  Letshego Bank (Namibia) Limited’s capital adequacy ratio declined to 28.1% for the year ended 31 December 2025, down from 30.2% in the previous year. The capital adequacy ratio measures a bank’s capital against its risk-weighted assets to ensure it can absorb losses, as required by the Bank of Namibia. Despite the decline, Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Limited reported higher earnings for the year. Profit after tax increased by 20.8% to N$505.8 million, compared with N$418.8 million recorded in 2024. Total comprehensive income and headline earnings also rose by 20.8% to N$505.8 million. Operating profit increased by 24.3% to N$577.9…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia aims to increase foreign direct investment and expand export markets over the next five years under targets set in the medium-term expenditure framework for the Ministry of International Relations and Trade. The plan outlines a steady rise in foreign direct investment inflows. Annual FDI is expected to reach N$207 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. It is projected to increase to N$223.6 billion in 2025/26, N$236.9 billion in 2026/27, N$246.4 billion in 2027/28 and N$251.3 billion by 2028/29. The government also plans to increase the number of Namibian businesses accessing export markets. The share of firms receiving…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia’s fiscal outlook remains manageable in the short term but faces growing pressure from structural weaknesses, according to analysis by FNB Namibia economist Cheryl Emvula. She said the 2026/27 National Budget outlines a fiscal path that still functions for now but shows signs of strain. Revenue performance has weakened. Government collections for the 2025/26 financial year were revised down to N$87.4 billion. This figure is below the original projection of N$89.4 billion and the N$89.1 billion collected in the previous year. Revenue is expected to increase to N$89.8 billion in the 2026/27 financial year. The projected increase relies…

Staff Writer  Bank Windhoek honoured estate agents and property agencies during its Central Estate Agent Awards held in Windhoek on 6 March. The event recognised performance in property finance, transaction volumes and specialist categories across the central region. Bank Windhoek chief financial officer and acting executive officer of specialist finance Zenaune Kamberipa said the property market recorded measured growth during the past year. He said rising house prices and steady rental demand supported the market despite global and domestic economic pressures. However, Kamberipa said affordability constraints, income pressures and unemployment continue to limit wider access to homeownership. Representatives from Dr…

Staff Writer  Old Mutual Namibia has announced that three of its senior legal professionals have been recognised on the inaugural Legal 500 General Counsel (GC) Powerlist: Namibia 2026, launched in Windhoek. Charmaine Burger, head of legal and company secretary, Charmaine Gouws, assistant group company secretary, and Marco Vollgraaff, head of compliance at Old Mutual Namibia, were named among Namibia’s leading in‑house legal professionals. The GC Powerlist, published by Legal 500, recognises exceptional general counsel and senior in-house legal professionals who play a critical role in shaping strong governance, managing risk, and supporting sustainable business growth in an increasingly complex regulatory…

Chamwe Kaira  A rise in global oil prices caused by geopolitical tensions may increase pressure on fuel prices and inflation in Namibia in the coming months. An analysis by Simonis Storm Research said the increase in oil prices could also affect interest rate expectations in the region. Namibia imports all of its oil. This means changes in global crude prices quickly affect the domestic economy. Over the past ten days, the price of Brent crude oil has increased by more than US$30 per barrel. Analysts say this increase will likely feed into local fuel prices. The report said higher oil…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia remains one of the main destinations for South African maize exports, although overall export activity from South Africa has slowed as the marketing year moves toward its end in April 2026. Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo said South Africa exported 39,584 tonnes of maize in the past week. About 14% of these shipments were sent to Namibia. Zimbabwe received the largest share of the exports at 52%. Botswana followed with 15%, while the remaining shipments went to other markets in the Southern African region. Despite these shipments, export volumes remain lower than expected for the season. South Africa’s…

Staff Writer A Namibian delegation joined regional leaders, energy experts and investors at the SADC Sustainable Energy Week 2026 held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The event was organised by the Southern African Development Community and brought together more than 800 participants. These included ministers, regulators, development finance institutions, private sector representatives and civil society organisations. The conference was held under the theme “Driving Regional Economic Growth through Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency". Namibia’s delegation was led by Moses Pakote, executive director of the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy. The delegation included officials and experts from government, the finance sector,…