Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA Africa Bitcoin Corporation says its wholly owned subsidiary, Altvest Credit Opportunities Fund Limited (ACOF), continued to expand its lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) during the quarter ended 31 May 2026, with total credit exposure increasing to N$363 million from N$267 million at the end of February. The proposed listing forms part of the group's strategy to broaden access to international capital and complement its existing listings on the JSE, A2X, the Namibia Securities Exchange, the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. According to the company's latest loan book performance update,…

Staff Writer The conversation around taxis and e-hailing services is often framed as a competition between old and new. Yet, the recent SanlamAllianz Brief Session that took place on Thursday revealed that the real challenge facing Namibia’s transport sector is not choosing one model over another, but creating a regulatory environment that allows innovation, safety and compliance to coexist. Bringing together representatives from government, e-hailing platforms and drivers, the panel explored how Namibia can modernise its transport sector while ensuring fairness for all operators. One of the strongest themes to emerge was the need for regulation to evolve alongside the…

Staff Writer  The 9th Summit of the Southern African Customs Union (Southern African Customs Union) Heads of State or Government convened in Cape Town on 26 June 2026, where leaders reaffirmed commitments to deeper regional integration, industrial development, and coordinated responses to global economic shocks. The Summit was chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and attended by King Mswati III, Botswana President Duma Boko, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and Lesotho Prime Minister Samuel Matekane. A key outcome of the meeting was the approval of a SACU Regional Innovative Funding Mechanism, including a Fund of Funds with an initial capitalisation…

Staff Writer  Nedbank Namibia has officially launched the 2026 NedbankKapana Cook-Off Competition.  The Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off has grown into one of the country’s most impactful entrepreneurship platforms, designed to empower informal food vendors and professional chefs by transforming culinary talent into sustainable businesses. Nedbank Namibia Communications and PR Manager, Selma Kaulinge emphasised the competition’s role beyond cooking, positioning it as a catalyst for financial inclusion and small business development. “At Nedbank, we believe in being Money Experts Who Do Good. The Kapana Cook-Off is more than a competition; it is a business incubator that creates real opportunities for grassroots entrepreneurs.…

Crude oil is the single most important commodity for Namibian macroeconomic conditions. The Iran war, which the International Energy Agency (IEA) characterised as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, disrupted 20% of global oil supply via the Strait of Hormuz. Brent surged from approximately US$72/barrel of oil (bbl) on 27 February to nearly US$120 at peak a 51% monthly gain in March, one of the largest one-month surges on record. Although a ceasefire was announced on 8 April, ship traffic through the Strait remained far below pre-war levels. As of late June, Brent traded…

CHAMWE KAIRA Namibia's economy showed signs of stabilising in the first quarter of 2026, although persistent weakness in the mining sector and higher interest rates continue to pose risks to growth for the remainder of the year, according to Simonis Storm Securities. Commenting on the country's 2% year-on-year GDP growth for the first quarter, Simonis Storm economist Almandro Jansen said the latest figures indicate the economy has moved away from the near-stagnation recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025, but warned that the recovery remains uneven. “The Q1 2026 GDP print of 2% is a stabilisation rather than an acceleration,”…

CHAMWE KAIRA Mr Price Group’s Namibian business recorded higher intra-group sales and increased administration fee income during the 2026 financial year, while the South African retail group continued expanding its presence in the country through its traditional retail brands and the Studio 88 chain. According to the group's annual financial statements for the year ended 28 March 2026, sales to its Namibian subsidiary, Mr Price Group (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd, increased to N$570 million from N$530 million in the previous financial year. Administration fees received from the Namibian operation also rose to N$79 million, up from N$64 million a year earlier.…

CHAMWE KAIRA  The country recorded strong growth in livestock auctions and horticultural exports during the first quarter of 2026, while cereal grain imports and horticultural imports declined, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency's (NSA) Agriculture and Fishing Indicator Statistical Bulletin for the first quarter of 2026. The bulletin shows that the total number of animals auctioned increased by 32.1% to 118 175 during the first quarter of 2026, compared to 89 428 in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Cattle accounted for the largest share of livestock sold at auction, with 68 155 head, followed by 26 685 goats and 23…

CHAMWE KAIRA Electricity sales in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 2.8%, rising from 946.3 million kWh in the corresponding period of 2025 to 920.2 million kWh in 2025, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency first quarter statistics. The Electricity and Water sector recorded a 2.5% increase in real value added during the first quarter of 2026, slower than the 5.9% growth registered in the same quarter of 2025. Sector performance was largely supported by the Water subsector, which grew by 8.5% in the first quarter of 2026, a turnaround from a 0.6% contraction recorded in the corresponding quarter…

Staff Writer The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene a meeting of its Committee of Ministers of Finance and Investment, alongside the Peer Review Panel, on 2 July 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe, as part of ongoing efforts to deepen regional financial integration and strengthen macroeconomic coordination across Member States. According to SADC, the meeting will focus on enhancing cooperation in investment, financial sector development, capital market integration, and macroeconomic surveillance, with the broader goal of supporting sustainable economic development and inclusive growth in the region. The session will be chaired by South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, in…