Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira  Rosh Pinah Zinc and Appian Capital Advisory Limited have secured a US$150 million (about N$2.78 billion) debt facility underwritten by Standard Bank to finance the mine’s RP2.0 expansion project. The company stated that the financing will cover the remaining construction costs of the project, which is currently funded up to the ramp-up phase.  Construction is more than 80% complete and remains on budget. Appian, the majority shareholder of Rosh Pinah Zinc, ran a competitive tender process with several parties before selecting Standard Bank as the partner. “The financing will fund the remaining construction costs of Rosh Pinah’s said…

Chamwe Kaira  NedNamibia Holdings Limited recorded a profit after taxation of N$193 million for the six months ended in 2025, up slightly from N$191 million in the previous six months. Profit before taxation rose 8% to N$228 million, compared to N$212 million in the prior period. The group said loans and advances remained the main growth driver, increasing 16% year-on-year.  “This strong momentum reflects the strategic efforts made over the past six to 18 months and provides a solid foundation for future expansion,” the group said. Growth in advances was supported by a 7% rise in net interest income and…

Chamwe Kaira  Bannerman Energy, developer of the Etango uranium project in the Erongo Region, says it made strong progress in 2025, marked by the execution of its strategic plan, safe operations, and a solid financial position. Bannerman Energy executive chairman Brandon Munro said these factors position the company to benefit from rising global demand for nuclear energy.  He said the Etango Project is moving closer to a final investment decision after completing key early works, including construction water supply, site access roads, and bulk earthworks. “These foundational activities were delivered safely on schedule and within budget. This year, we also…

Chamwe Kaira  Safari Investments Limited has released its audited consolidated annual financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2025, following the sale of its Platz Am Meer property in Namibia.  The group also declared a dividend and distributed its integrated annual report with a notice of its upcoming annual general meeting. The company said the fair value of investment properties rose by 3.74% to N$4.19 billion, compared to N$4.04 billion in 2024.  “It must, however, be noted that the current year number excludes the Platz Am Meer property after the sale of Safari Investments Namibia Pty Ltd on 30…

Chamwe Kaira  The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) has welcomed a High Court ruling that declared an exclusive fibre lease agreement between NamPower, MTC, and Telecom Namibia invalid. On 31 July 2025, the High Court ruled that clause 3.2 of the agreement, the automatic renewal clause, was invalid.  The court confirmed that the agreement legally ended on 31 May 2022, when its 10-year term expired. In 2012, NamPower, MTC, and Telecom Namibia signed a tripartite agreement for the lease of NamPower’s dark fibre telecommunications services.  The agreement granted MTC and Telecom exclusive access to the fibre and included an…

Chamwe Kaira  The tourism industry has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, with the national occupancy rate rising to 67.55% in August, up from 59.61% in July.  This was a 4.5 percentage point increase from 63.02% in August 2024 and marked the highest monthly rate since the pre-Covid peak of 69.9%. “This robust performance underscores the resilience of the tourism sector and signals a full recovery of seasonal demand. With September historically being the busiest month of the year, it is anticipated that the upcoming figures will surpass pre-pandemic levels,” said Macro Pulse, an analyst at Simonis Storm Securities. On a year-to-date…

Chamwe Kaira  The Remgro Group says its share of IFRS 3 amortisation and depreciation charges related to the Distell/Heineken transaction amounted to N$140 million for the year, down from N$257 million in 2024. “These charges stem from additional assets identified when Heineken Beverages obtained control over Distell Group Holdings Limited and Namibia Breweries Limited,” the group reported in results for the year ended 30 June. Heineken Beverages contributed a loss of N$50 million to Remgro’s headline earnings, compared to a loss of N$573 million in 2024.  Excluding amortisation and depreciation, Heineken Beverages posted a profit of N$90 million, compared to…

Chamwe Kaira  Choppies Enterprises Limited reported a mixed performance across its southern African operations for the year ended 30 June 2025. In Namibia, sales grew 42.3%, with like-for-like sales up 33.06%.  Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 220%, while EBIT losses narrowed from BWP14 million (N$18 million) in the prior year to BWP9 million (N$11.7 million). “Profitability improved as new stores reached full potential, supported by better promotional activity and the completion of an inventory optimisation system,” the company said. The retailer operates more than 20 stores in Namibia and is considering expanding into the south, where…

Staff Writers  Nedbank Group chief executive Jason Quinn says marketing must be seen as central to business growth.  He noted that marketing has shifted from being a back-office function to a driver of trust, brand equity, and long-term value.  He cautioned against cutting marketing budgets during tough times, asking whether reducing visibility and customer engagement could ever solve business challenges. Quinn was speaking at the Nedbank Integrated Marketing Conference (IMC) 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.  The event drew over 3 000 delegates in person and online and featured more than 20 speakers under the theme 'Marketing is Business'. Nedbank Namibia…