Observer Money

Mary Vilakazi, who financed her education through scholarships and a bursary, rose from a township to lead one of Africa’s largest financial institutions by market cap, FirstRand Group. Vilakazi first joined the group in 2018, where she served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) until her appointment as CEO in 2024. Before FirstRand, she was the deputy CEO of MMI Holdings, an insurance-based financial services firm, where she worked for nearly four years. At 27, she started working for PwC, where she became one of the firm’s youngest partners worldwide. In 2016, Vilakazi was named a World Economic Forum Young Global…

Chamwe Kaira  Momentum Group’s results for the six months ended 31 December 2025 show that Namibia contributed to growth in its Africa business. The group reported a recovery in its Africa segment. Operating profit moved from a loss of N$27 million in the previous period to N$136 million. Normalised headline earnings increased by 87% to N$352 million. The group said all countries contributed to the improvement. Namibia was named as a key source of growth in retail and corporate new business. The results show increased insurance activity in Namibia. Growth was seen in corporate protection and retail products. For the…

Chamwe Kaira  Revenues from the fuel levy are not enough to support road development and maintenance in Namibia. This is according to the Namibia Country Strategy Paper for 2025 to 2030 released by the African Development Bank Group. The report says the transport sector also faces an ageing rail network, skills shortages, and gaps in legal and regulatory frameworks. It outlines plans to expand infrastructure, strengthen skills, and support job creation. The bank said the government is shifting focus from road to rail. This is reflected in funding allocations. Namibia aims to position itself as a transport and logistics hub…

Staff Writer  Nasan Energies (Pty) Ltd has received approval to acquire 52 Engen and Shell-branded fuel service stations across Namibia from Vivo Energy Namibia. The approval follows a public engagement process led by the Namibia Competition Commission. More than 100 members of the public attended the stakeholder conference, where the proposed acquisition was discussed. The outcome supported the transaction. Managing director Jean-Blaise Ollomo thanked stakeholders, the public, and dealers for their support during the two-year process. In May 2024, Vivo Energy completed the purchase of Engen Limited from Petronas. This included Engen Namibia. After an evaluation of technical and financial…

Chamwe Kaira  The Chamber of Mines of Namibia has expressed concern over Namibia’s significant deterioration in the 2025 Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies, warning that the results highlight the urgent need to safeguard policy certainty and investor confidence in the country’s mining sector. The Chamber of Mines of Namibia says the country has lost ground in the 2025 Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies. The chamber said the results show a decline in investor confidence and highlight the need for policy certainty. “Namibia’s decline in the Investment Attractiveness Index signals that investor perceptions of our mining policy…

Staff Writer  Standard Bank Namibia has launched the 2026 Blue Growth Series, expanding the programme to support about 80 micro, small and medium enterprises. The programme was launched in Windhoek this week. It is run in partnership with the Namibia Investment and Finance Academy. The number of businesses supported has doubled from the first edition. The event brought together policymakers, financial sector leaders and selected entrepreneurs. Deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture, Dino Ballotti said a strong business environment is needed for entrepreneurs to grow. He said access to finance, mentorship, and support systems are keys.…

Staff Writer  The Capricorn Foundation has launched the Vocational Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme in Swakopmund. The programme is run in partnership with Unmatched Potential – Business Box Namibia. It targets technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates and aims to equip them with business skills, mentorship and practical experience. In the first phase, 20 graduates from the Erongo Region will be selected. Applicants must have completed an accredited TVET qualification at level 3 or 4 within the past one to five years. The programme will run for three months. Participants will receive training aimed at linking technical skills to business…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) has engaged stakeholders on how transactions involving the sale or transfer of mineral and petroleum licences should be taxed and regulated. The discussions come as Namibia sees increased activity in the oil sector following discoveries in the Orange Basin. NamRA commissioner Sam Shivute said the current legal framework still applies to these transactions. He said concerns raised during the engagement will be reviewed and submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises. The Chamber of Mines of Namibia said tax on share sales linked to licences should be based on profits. Chamber of…

Magano Erkana and Nhika Vassallo  Exciting times are under way in Namibia with the new Namibia National Digital Strategy 2025–2029 (NDS), dubbed “The Framework for Digital Transformation”. This represents a bold, comprehensive roadmap to harness digital technologies for economic growth, social inclusion and societal advancement.  Unveiled by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, the strategy aligns other state policies, addressing longstanding challenges like inadequate infrastructure, digital skills gaps and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has released the Namibia National Digital Strategy 2025–2029 (NDS). The NDS is a roadmap to harness digital technologies for economic growth,…

Mark and Dan Saltzman, the sons of Dis-Chem founders Lynette and Ivan Saltzman, have sold shares in the company for over R600 million. The brothers each sold shares worth roughly R321 million from January to February of this year. The brothers both received shares in the company worth billions in June 2025 following a major shift in the family’s holding structure. The brothers received 217 million in shares in the company last year, which represented around a quarter of the JSE-listed company that was founded by their parents in 1978. Prior to the shift, the family’s investment vehicle, Ivlyn, held…