Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA  Simonis Storm Securities said FirstRand Namibia’s earnings growth remains solid, but rising credit impairments and margin pressure are cause for caution. In a recent report, the firm said the second half of the year is likely to be weaker due to higher provisioning costs and a decline in base effects.  Despite this, strong capital buffers and diverse revenue streams support the bank’s stability and position it well for a changing economic environment. FirstRand Namibia posted strong interim results, driven by loan book growth, disciplined cost control, and resilient non-interest income. “The economic backdrop remains favourable, with rate cuts…

Namibia Breweries Limited disclosed that according to paragraph 3.4 (b) of the Listing requirements of the Namibia Securities Exchange, shareholders were advised that the group’s operating profit for the eighteen months, ended 31 December 2024, is expected to increase by between 110% and 115% compared to the twelve-month comparative financial period.  “This increase is driven by strong performance from the new portfolio. Over the eighteen-month period, growth was constrained by higher net financing costs and increased tax expenses, leading to a more moderate increase in headline earnings of between 91% and 96%,” the company said.  The company said as a…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Debmarine Namibia, the country’s largest taxpayer, faced a difficult year in 2024 due to falling international diamond prices and weak economic conditions in major markets such as the US, China, and India. The market instability forced the company to reduce its diamond production and shorten its market forecast window from two years to just two months. Debmarine presented the global outlook and its impact on natural diamond demand to stakeholders in Windhoek recently. Chief executive officer Willy Mertens said the global growth outlook remains stable but noted that US tariffs continue to create uncertainty.  He said there was…

CHAMWE KAIRA  The Namibian uranium industry continues to benefit from strong global demand for nuclear energy, driven by efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy security. Decarbonisation refers to reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from processes such as manufacturing and energy production. Paladin Energy said in a presentation that nuclear energy is the second-largest source of global clean energy and produces almost no carbon emissions. In the United States, nuclear power supplies nearly half of clean energy. During COP28 and COP29, 31 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, and France, committed to tripling nuclear power capacity by…

Eskom has announced the successful addition of Kusile Power Station’s final unit, Unit 6, to the national grid. This achievement marks a crucial step toward completing one of South Africa’s largest infrastructure projects and is a key milestone in Eskom’s strategic objective of adding 2500MW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025. Kusile Power Station will contribute a total of 4800 MW to the national grid once all units are fully operational, making it South Africa’s largest infrastructure project. Its sister project, Medupi, will see its Unit 4 return 800MW by the end of April 2025 from an…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Osino Gold Exploration and Mining is conducting water supply investigations for its planned mining operations at its Twin Hills Gold Mine, located 25 km northeast of Karibib within the Erongo Region. Despite the success of water supply investigations undertaken close to the mine licence area, Osino has investigated other water sources to further secure water supply.  NamWater, in collaboration with Osino, investigated and confirmed the feasibility of abstracting groundwater from the Kranzberg Aquifer. “This finding supports the expansion of the Kranzberg Water Supply Scheme, operated by NamWater.  Therefore, NamWater, in collaboration with Osino, proposes to abstract groundwater from…

Niël Terblanché The dredging project to deepen and widen the access channel to Walvis Bay Harbour was recently completed. The deepened and widened access channel is expected to accommodate larger vessels, thereby boosting trade and economic growth. The project also enhanced Namibia's maritime infrastructure. The initiative, undertaken by Van Oord in partnership with Boskalis, involved deepening the ten-kilometre-long access channel from 14.4 to 16.8 metres and widening it from 130 to 200 metres. Additionally, the harbour basin was dredged to a depth of 16.3 metres and expanded by more than 400 metres. According to the contractors, one of the primary…

Niël Terblanché The tourism sector has been placed firmly in the international spotlight with the launch of the “Tourism Doing Business Investing in Namibia” guidelines by UN Tourism. According to UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, the initiative is aimed at encouraging global investors to consider Namibia as a destination not only for travel but also for strategic, long-term investment in tourism development. He said the newly released guidelines provide a comprehensive overview of the country’s potential, detailing the current state of the economy, the steady rise in tourism arrivals, and favourable conditions for doing business. According to Pololikashvili, Namibia’s blend…

Niël Terblanché The Vrede Rede Primary School in Swakopmund has undergone upgrades to its infrastructure, thanks to a N$61 631 donation from uranium exploration company Deep Yellow Limited and its Namibian subsidiary, Reptile Mineral Resources and Exploration (RMR). The funds were used to repair cement walkways between classrooms and reconstruct a sports field for netball and soccer. According to RMR’s public relations officer, Sugnet Smit, the initiative was part of the company’s ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility and its aim to foster a safe and supportive learning environment for children. “Recognising that quality education is the foundation of a…

Niël Terblanché Less than a week after her appointment by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Finance and Social Grants Management, Erica Shafudah is set to present Namibia's 2025/26 national budget to the National Assembly on Thursday. Wilson Shikoto, the spokesperson for the finance ministry, said the prompt action stresses the government's commitment to addressing the nation's financial and developmental priorities without delay. “The upcoming budget will delineate the government's financial roadmap, encompassing revenue projections, expenditure plans, and borrowing strategies,” he said. Shikoto said that it would also outline key priorities aimed at steering the country's economic direction for the fiscal year…