Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira  The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has announced the 2026 hunting season for game animals and game birds in Namibia, with some hunting activities allowed until the end of August. The hunting season was published in the government gazette dated 30 April.  The notice was signed by environment, forestry and tourism minister Indileni Daniel. Namibia earns about N$400 million every year from professional hunting, according to government statistics. The ministry said communal conservancies earned N$292.5 million from hunting activities between 2013 and 2024.  During the same period, joint-venture tourism activities generated N$166.3 million. The notice sets out…

Staff Writer  Simonis Storm Securities has maintained a hold recommendation on Paratus Namibia Holdings after the company reported strong revenue growth but weaker profits in its interim results for the six months ended 31 December 2025. Paratus reported revenue of N$381.3 million during the period, up 16.5% from N$327.3 million recorded a year earlier. Underlying operational revenue growth, excluding dividend income from the previous period, stood at 23.4%. Despite the increase in revenue, the company recorded a total comprehensive loss of N$36.3 million compared to income of N$26.5 million in the same period last year. No interim dividend was declared.…

Staff Writer  The Chamber of Mines of Namibia says major mining projects continued to progress in 2025, strengthening expectations that the sector will remain one of Namibia’s main economic drivers in the coming years. The chamber said Namibia’s medium-term mining outlook remains supported by a strong pipeline of uranium, gold, copper and critical mineral projects. However, it warned that rising policy uncertainty is starting to affect investor confidence. One of the largest projects advancing is the Tumas Uranium Project, being developed by Deep Yellow. The project moved closer to a final investment decision as financing discussions with Nedbank continued. Nedbank…

Chamwe Kaira  Paladin Energy says rising global demand for nuclear energy and a growing uranium supply shortage are creating opportunities for the company to strengthen value from its uranium assets, including the Langer Heinrich Mine in the Erongo region. The company said it is focused on increasing production at Langer Heinrich while maintaining financial flexibility and benefiting from long-term uranium supply contracts. Paladin said its position as an established uranium producer gives it exposure to what is expected to be long-term growth in nuclear energy and uranium demand. The company operates projects in Namibia and Canada and also has exploration…

Staff Writer Nedbank Namibia held client engagement meetings in Rundu and Katima Mulilo as part of its annual Managing Director Roadshow aimed at strengthening relationships with communities and businesses across the country. The roadshow forms part of the bank’s efforts to engage employees, clients and local leaders while shaping its 2026 strategy around regional needs and opportunities. During the visits, Nedbank Namibia managing director Martha Murorua said each town has its own strengths that influence how the bank approaches service delivery. Speaking in Rundu, Murorua highlighted the town’s economic activity and community initiatives. She pointed to the Wapa Nawa Recycling…

Wandile Sihlobo South Africa’s winter crop farmers face a challenging start to the 2026-27 production season. Lower commodity prices resulting from ample global wheat supplies are one challenge. But the sharply higher fuel and fertiliser prices are an even more pressing challenge as the season starts in the Western Cape and proceeds to other provinces over the coming two months. A more uncertain weather outlook, with a chance of lower-than-normal rainfall, is another issue farmers must consider as they plan area plantings for the season. But in all five winter crops that South Africa produces – wheat, barley, canola, oats,…

Chamwe Kaira  FNB Namibia predicts that agriculture, mining, and tourism will drive economic growth in 2026, despite the presence of risks. FNB market research manager Mandisa Van Wyk said cyclical improvements in agriculture are likely to support the primary sector and related industries such as meat processing. Mining output is also expected to improve, supported by renewed oil and gas exploration.  She said TotalEnergies’ anticipated final investment decision mid-year could boost investor interest. Van Wyk said the electricity and water sectors are expected to gain momentum as investment in water security and power generation continues. “Tourism is also poised for…

Chamwe Kaira  Critical minerals producer Andrada Mining has expanded its drilling programme at the Lithium Ridge project in the Erongo Region after reporting strong lithium results. The company released a second batch of diamond drilling results, confirming high-grade lithium oxide intersections across several drill holes. It also found tin and tantalum in all reported holes. Among the key results, drill hole LRD031 returned 21.33 metres grading 1.24% lithium oxide, including 7.20 metres at 1.99%. Another hole, LRD025, returned 16.24 metres at 1.04% lithium oxide from near the surface, while LRD022 delivered 10.87 metres at 1.38%. These results build on an…

Chamwe Kaira  Paladin Energy says its Langer Heinrich Mine ramp-up remains on track and is expected to be completed by the end of the 2026 financial year. The company restarted the mine in 2024 after completing a US$120 million project focused on repairs, refurbishment and removing production bottlenecks to improve plant availability and runtime. Since the restart, the mine has fully returned to mining operations. Processing performance has improved over time, supported by higher ore feed grades and better recovery rates.  The company also reported record ore throughput and stronger uranium sales. Because of this progress, Paladin upgraded its 2026…

Staff Writer  Simonis Storm says private sector credit extension (PSCE) growth of 4.3% in March appears stable but hides different trends within the credit market. The firm said the headline number combines household and business credit flows but gives a misleading view of a uniform slowdown. The data shows a split between corporate and household borrowing. On the corporate side, the slowdown in March was driven by a sharp change in overdraft credit. Growth moved from 5.4% in February to a contraction of 2.6% in March.  The firm said this is mostly seasonal and linked to year-end balance sheet adjustments…