Observer Money

Ramona Itembu  Resilience has long been the essence of Namibians' ability to survive life. Whether returning from financial downturns, drought, or personal financial setbacks, we have learnt to survive. But as we tick down the clock to the later part of 2025, surviving is not enough. The financial services industry must evolve from simply being resilient to actually being relevant in the lives of average Namibians. Relevance means showing up where people need us most, not just when things go wrong, but in the everyday decisions that shape their futures. It means understanding how people live, what they value, and…

STAFF WRITER Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and vice-chairperson of the Namibia Public–Private Partnership, Titus Nampala has said its possible for Namibia to grow its economy by 5% per annum. He said meeting the aspirations of National Development Plan 6 (NDP6), of growing the economy by more than 5% annually, will needs slight tweaks. The tweaks must be in approach, mindset and in the rhythm with which, the country acts, Nampala said. “The private sector is ready to assure you, Your Excellency: it is possible. And our ask is very small, tiny dare…

Chamwe Kaira The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has paid N$9 million in penalties into the state revenue fund after the audit of its 2024/25 financial year by the auditor general.  This fulfils its obligation under the Competition Act, which requires all collected penalties to be transferred to the fund. NaCC corporate communication practitioner Dina //Gowases said the commission collected the penalties through settlement and consent agreements with companies in several sectors, including non-financial services (N$1 million), cement (N$5 million) and fuel and air transportation (N$3 million).  She said investigations found that some companies violated chapters 3 and 4 of the…

Staff Writer The Bank of Namibia (BoN) and the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) have released the October 2025 Financial Stability Report, assessing the strength of the country’s financial system and its ability to withstand internal and external shocks. According to the report, the domestic economy slowed sharply in the second quarter of 2025, mainly due to weak performance in the manufacturing, fishing, and agriculture sectors.  The economy grew by 1.6% during the quarter, compared to 3.3% recorded in the same period last year. The contraction was driven by declines in manufacturing, fishing and fish processing on board, and…

Chamwe Kaira The eighth edition of the Namibia International Energy Conference (NIEC) will bring together industry leaders, government officials, and investors to discuss Namibia’s growing energy sector.  The conference will take place from 14 to 16 April 2026 in Windhoek. Organised by RichAfrica Consultancy, the conference will focus on Namibia's transition from exploration to development and production. It aims to promote the creation and sharing of in-country value while advancing a diversified energy mix that includes oil and gas, renewables, nuclear, and power generation. RichAfrica said this milestone edition will align with Namibia’s approach to building a balanced and sustainable…

Renthia Kaimbi Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) chief executive officer Andrew Kanime hosted Oshikoto governor Sakarias Kathindi and his delegation for a strategic familiarisation visit last Wednesday. The visit aimed to strengthen regional cooperation and give the governor a clearer understanding of Namport’s operations and its role in driving Namibia’s economic development. Discussions focused on potential areas of collaboration in corporate social investment (CSI) to support sustainable projects within the Oshikoto region. The engagement formed part of Kathindi’s broader outreach programme, during which he has been meeting various corporate entities to mobilise support for the region’s key challenges, including a severe…

Chamwe Kaira  Windhoek’s approved building plans rose by 28.4% in September, increasing from 176 in August to 226. Swakopmund recorded a smaller rise of 4.9%, with approvals going up from 81 to 85. Simonis Storm Securities analyst Almandro Jansen said that on an annual basis, Windhoek’s approvals dropped by 15.8%, while Swakopmund’s approvals rose sharply by 91%, from 45 to 85. “The latter can be attributed to a low base effect. Despite the mixed monthly results, the total number of approvals for both Windhoek and Swakopmund increased by 19% and 30%, respectively, quarter on quarter, during the third quarter of…

Chamwe Kaira FirstRand Namibia Limited shareholders have approved all ordinary resolutions presented at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Friday, 17 October. The company said the meeting, which covered governance and financial matters, recorded a voting participation of 85.87% of issued shares, with most resolutions receiving unanimous support. Shareholders approved the Annual Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2025 and confirmed declared dividends.  They also reaffirmed the appointments of independent non-executive directors Otto Shikongo and Emile van Zyl, while formally accepting the resignation of non-executive director I-Ben Nashandi. Samantha Balsdon was confirmed as a new non-executive…