Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA Namibia’s government-subsidised commodities contributed to weaker profitability at Choppies Enterprises during the year ended 30 June 2026, with the Botswana-based retailer saying its operations were affected by weaker macroeconomic conditions across its markets. Choppies said government-subsidised commodities in Namibia were among the factors that impacted group profitability during 2026 Financial Year (FY2026), alongside reduced consumer liquidity in Botswana, the depreciation of the Botswana pula, food-price deflation in Zambia, higher oil and fuel prices, increased transportation costs and stronger promotional activity in constrained consumer markets. The retailer is expecting profit after tax from continuing operations to fall by between…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Namibia has been cited as an example of how Africa can use its emerging green hydrogen industry to create local value and support industrialisation rather than repeating traditional extractive economic models. Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Commissioner for Africa, Philipp Knill, said Namibia’s emerging green iron industry demonstrated how partnerships could support value creation closer to renewable energy production. Knill made the remarks on the sidelines of a technical briefing ahead of the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit, taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 15 to 16 September 2026. He said Africa should…

CHAMWE KAIRA South Africa’s agribusiness confidence improved in the third quarter of 2026, with the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) rising eight points to 53, moving above the 50-neutral mark. The latest reading indicates that South African agribusinesses are optimistic about business conditions after the index remained below the neutral level for two consecutive quarters. The improvement was driven mainly by respondents in the financial services sector, grain trading, agricultural input supply and the feed industry, while other respondents maintained their views from the previous quarter. The survey, conducted during the first week of September 2026, covered businesses across agricultural…

Staff Writer Pepkor Holdings reported a 9.8% increase in group sales for the 10 months ended 31 July 2026, with sales excluding acquisitions rising 5.2% as the retailer gained market share in a subdued Southern African consumer environment. On a two-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) basis, sales excluding acquisitions increased 7.1%, while like-for-like sales rose 3.1%, with a two-year CAGR of 4.9%. Pepkor said the Southern African consumer environment remained subdued, with Retailers Liaison Committee data indicating that sales were moving outside the RLC network and that customers were allocating a smaller share of their spending to clothing, footwear,…

Staff Writer Proflight Zambia, which flies to Namibia has acquired three BAE Jetstream 41 29-seat turboprop aircraft from Eastern Airways, expanding its total aircraft fleet to 13.  The acquisition increases the airline’s Jetstream 41 fleet from four to seven aircraft.  The additional aircraft allow Proflight Zambia to add more frequency and capacity to its domestic network, supporting the airline’s efforts to improve connectivity, schedule reliability and convenience for passengers. The additional aircraft also create the potential for new domestic and international routes next year. Crucially, the expanded fleet provides greater redundancy, which safeguards schedule reliability and passenger convenience.  “Proflight Zambia…

Staff Writer South Africa’s position as a leading aviation hub is coming under increasing pressure as regional competitors expand connectivity and invest in airport infrastructure, according to Airports Company South Africa (Acsa). In its Corporate Plan for 2026/27 to 2028/29, Acsa said South Africa’s aviation growth had stagnated while countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt were expanding their connectivity. The company attributed the erosion of South Africa’s hub position to operational instability, regulatory constraints and the absence of a dominant airline to anchor connecting traffic. It also identified fuel security vulnerabilities, inconsistent passenger facilitation and increased competition from newly…

CHAMWE KAIRA The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) had development loan commitments of N$2.159 billion in Namibia at the end of its 2025/26 financial year, according to the bank’s Annual Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2026. The Namibia commitments were unchanged from the N$2.159 billion reported a year earlier, placing the country among the DBSA’s significant development finance commitments outside South Africa. The commitments form part of the DBSA’s broader N$26.279 billion development loan commitment portfolio, up from N$21.087 billion in the previous financial year. The bank’s total development loan commitments in the rest of Africa…

CHAMWE KAIRA Overall, the latest Consumer Price Index data suggest that inflation is no longer merely rising on account of base effects but is increasingly being supported by strengthening underlying price momentum.  With oil prices rising and pushing up goods prices, fuel subsidies being withdrawn, and El Niño-related food and electricity risks intensifying, the inflation outlook appears increasingly tilted towards an upside-risk scenario over the medium term, Standard Bank Group Economist Helena Mboti says. Headline inflation accelerated to 5% year-on-year in August 2026 from 4.4% in July and was notably higher than the 3.2% recorded in August 2025. Mboti said…

Staff Writer  Nasan Energies has successfully completed the first phase of its service station rebranding programme, marking another important milestone in the company’s journey to build a strong and recognisable presence across Namibia. During phase one, 16 former Shell service stations were successfully rebranded as Nasan Energies service stations across Namibia. The rebranded network includes sites in Rehoboth, Oshakati, Gobabis, Mariental, Kalkveld, Windhoek, Okahao, Walvis Bay, Outjo, Okahandja, Tsumeb, Ondangwa and Oshivelo, as well as other locations across the country, with the new branding progressively becoming a familiar sight on Namibia’s roads, the company said.  “The completion of the first…

Angola is looking toward its next phase of oil and gas development, underpinned by a Hydrocarbon Strategy through 2050, more than US$70 billion in projected upstream investment, Sonangol’s expanding operational footprint and new downstream infrastructure. Financing that next phase could receive a major boost as early as November. African Energy Chamber executive chairman NJ Ayuk announced during the AOG opening that he had been informed that Afreximbank and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) will launch the long-awaited Africa Energy Bank that month. “This will allow companies to do the big work,” Ayuk said, calling for continued exploration and investment…