Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira  Despite delays in major projects and limited public spending, Namibia's construction sector has begun to show signs of recovery in 2026. A report by Simonis Storm indicates that activity improved after a slow start to the year. The report says structural challenges continue to affect the sector. These include delays in green hydrogen and oil and gas projects, limited fiscal space and shortages of serviced land. In Windhoek, building activity increased in February. A total of 163 building plans were approved, up from 109 in January. This is a 49.5% increase. Compared to February 2025, approvals rose by…

Chamwe Kaira  Vehicle sales increased in February, showing stronger demand in the market. A total of 1 165 vehicles were sold during the month. This is a 4.1% increase compared to February 2025 and a 15.9% rise from January’s 1 005 units. A report by Simonis Storm said the figure is the strongest February performance since 2016. Total sales for January and February reached 2,170 units, up 4.1% from the same period last year. Passenger vehicles drove the increase. Sales rose to 582 units in February from 495 in January. This figure is a 17.6% increase. Compared to February 2025,…

Chamwe Kaira  Pay-TV subscriptions declined in Namibia during the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting changing consumer behaviour. Subscriptions dropped by 6%, from 147 508 in the third quarter to 138 109 in the fourth quarter. A report by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) shows that the decline may be linked to competition from streaming platforms, the end of major sports seasons and cost pressures on consumers. Broadcasting revenue also fell by 2% during the same period. Advertising revenue remained stable and accounted for 12% of total revenue. The report shows mixed performance across telecommunications, broadcasting and postal services.…

Chamwe Kaira  Tsodilo Resources Limited has raised 900 000 Canadian dollars (about N$12.6 million) through a private placement to advance its mineral projects in Botswana. The company said the funding will support its critical minerals and rare earth elements project, as well as the Xaudum Iron Formation project. Tsodilo confirmed that it issued 4.5 million units at a price of C$0.20 per unit. Each unit includes one common share and one share purchase warrant. Each warrant allows the holder to buy an additional share at US$0.20 within five years. The securities are subject to a holding period of four months…

Staff Writer  The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has won the Artificial Intelligence Initiative Award at the Central Banking Awards. The award recognises institutions that use artificial intelligence in areas such as forecasting, payments oversight, regulation and fraud detection. The bank was recognised for using artificial intelligence and machine learning in its daily operations. Key projects include a non-performing loans predictive model, an inflation nowcasting system and a regulatory navigation tool. The non-performing loans model helps provide early insights into risks in the banking sector. The inflation nowcasting system produces near-real-time inflation estimates to support monetary policy decisions. The Regulatory Navigation…

Vusi Thembekwayo I stood in a room in Windhoek last week and asked one question that silenced the conversation: "Does the person who goes to bed hungry eat complacence?" I was invited to deliver the keynote at the Namibia Budget Dialogue 2026 alongside Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah, and what I saw in that room gave me hope and, with that, left me with some questions. I am a numbers guy, so let me tell you what hope looks like when backed by data. The resource  The Orange Basin holds an estimated 11 billion barrels of light oil. TotalEnergies is moving…

Pascal Haingura There was a time when the word 'computer' did not refer to a machine at all. It referred to a person – someone employed to perform calculations. Before electronic machines existed, governments, astronomers, engineers, and scientists relied on human “computers” to process numerical data manually and systematically. Then came the technological turning point of the 20th century. With the rise of electronic computing, machines assumed the work of calculation and data processing. From that moment onwards, a computer became something people used first in laboratories and government offices, later in businesses, and eventually in homes. Today, we are…

Chamwe Kaira  The implementation of Namibia’s National Energy Compact under the Mission 300 initiative is expected to cost about US$1.76 billion (about N$33 billion), with around US$411 million (about N$7.7 billion) expected from private sector investment. The programme aims to expand electricity access and increase renewable energy generation. This is according to a report by the African Development Bank.  The government is developing a National Electrification Policy to expand electricity access in rural and peri-urban areas. The National Energy Compact forms part of broader plans to increase access to electricity and improve energy security. Under the strategy, Namibia plans to…

Chamwe Kaira  The Namibian Securities Exchange opened the week higher on Monday, 16 March, with gains in financial and consumer stocks, while real estate and basic materials declined. The benchmark FTSE/JSE All Share Index rose by 1,638.04 points (1.43%) to close at 116,562.25, up from 114,924.21 in the previous session. The index remains below its 2026 high of 128,455.68. On the local market, the NSX Overall Index increased by 10.80 points (0.50%) to close at 2,159.45, up from 2,148.65. The index has risen 0.85% since December 2025, when it stood at 2,141.33. The NSX Local Index added 0.25 points (0.03%)…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia needs higher economic growth to reduce unemployment and inequality, the African Development Bank has said. Real GDP is expected to grow to 3.8% in 2025 and 3.9% in 2026. The recovery is linked to improved weather conditions and activity in the natural resources sector. The sector includes petroleum exploration and increased uranium production, supported by higher global commodity prices. “A recovery is also evident in tourism, transport and storage, financial services, and electricity generation. Growth prospects are expected to be bolstered by developments in the green hydrogen industry, increased investment in oil and gas, and infrastructure expansion.…