Observer Money

Niël Terblanché In a move set to reshape Namibia's retail landscape, the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group has announced the reintroduction of its wholly Namibian-owned retail brand, Model, which will replace Pick n Pay Namibia on 1 July. During the announcement on Monday Sven Thieme, the executive chairman of the O&L Group said the strategic transition marks a return to the company's roots and a renewed commitment to delivering a uniquely Namibian shopping experience. The O&L Group’s retail journey with Model began in 1965 with a few grocery shops that grew into a chain of supermarkets in all major towns…

Niël Terblanché Namibia officially launched the Time Release Study (TRS) Report for the Trans-Kalahari Border Post on Thursday, which is another step towards improving trade efficiency and border management. The report, a product of collaboration between Namibian government institutions, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, and technical experts, seeks to identify and address bottlenecks in the clearance of goods and border operations. At the launch event in Windhoek, the Namibia Revenue Agency’s (NamRA) commissioner, Sam Shivute described the report as a tool that will help refine customs and trade facilitation measures in line with international best practices. “The TRS…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, with diamond resources estimated at approximately 75 million carats in approximately 1.0 million square kilometres of seabed. Marine diamond deposits represent around 80% of the partnership’s total diamond production and 94% of its diamond resources, based on the Anglo American 2024 Integrated Report. Anglo American owns De Beers.  De Beers operates via 50:50 joint operations with the Namibian government, recovering both land-based diamonds Namdeb and offshore mining Debmarine Namibia. Production in Namibia decreased by 4% to 2.2 million carats in 2024 (2023: 2.3 million carats), reflecting intentional action…

CHAMWE KAIRA  The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) chairperson, Nangula Hamunyela, has said Namport is following with keen interest the ongoing engagements on the developments of the Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo and Trans Kalahari rail links and is of the hope that these may move to fruition in the medium term. The Trans-Zambezi Railway will extend from Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo. The proposed Trans-Kalahari Railway between Namibia and Botswana will span from Mmamabula in Botswana to Walvis Bay. Namport has said the absence of rail connections to the key markets in Botswana and Zambia remains a major cause for concern, especially…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Standard Bank Namibia Holdings Limited has entered 2025 in a forceful position. The group’s 2025 strategic priorities continue to be transforming client experience and driving sustainable growth and value, the group said in financial results for the financial year ended 31 December 2024. “We have refreshed our current strategy and crafted bold ambition for our 2025–2028 horizon with clear ‘must win’ battles for each business unit.”  The board recommended a final ordinary dividend of 70 cents per share (2023: 58 cents per ordinary share).  Profit for the year increased by 36.8%, up from N$770 million to N$1.053 billion.…

Standard Bank Namibia Holdings Limited has appointed Zebra Karirondua Kasete as independent non-executive director of SBN Holdings Limited and Standard Bank Namibia Limited.   Kasete is currently the executive vice president for the Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter. He is a senior executive and metallurgist with an international MBA and 35+ years of global mining and metal experience across senior strategic, operational, and corporate roles including managing director, executive vice president and board roles in both Rio Tinto’s subsidiaries and Dundee Precious Metals (DPM).  He is experienced in diverse commodities like uranium, borates, talc, diamond, copper and gold and strengths in transforming companies,…

Despite its vast resources and production capacity, Africa remains heavily reliant on external markets. This state of affairs has prompted Botswana to raise the alarm about low levels of intra-African trade. “It's disheartening that Africa is still unable to realise trade among its countries,” said Dr Phenyo Butale, Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, delivering a lecture in honour of the late South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Aziz Pahad at the North-West University (NWU).  Emphasising the need for stronger economic ties among African nations, Dr Butale questioned why countries continue to import goods readily available within the continent. “We…

CHAMWE KAIRA  Going forward, upside risks to inflation will persist, especially from food and imported goods prices, which could push up goods inflation which is more sensitive to supply-chain disruptions and raw material fluctuations, particularly amid geopolitical unrest, FNB Namibia economist Helena Mboti has said.  Mboti said given the risk of heightened geopolitical tensions, upside risk to goods inflation remains eminent.   She said Food prices are expected to remain elevated until improved harvest yields in May, while housing and utility costs face upward pressures from anticipated tariff hikes and demand-driven rental inflation. Global oil supply is expected to increase relative…

Frida Frans The urgency of integrating biodiversity conservation into Namibia’s financial and private sectors has never been more critical than it is today.  As global attention and conversation intensifies on the environmental challenges facing our planet, countries worldwide are increasingly recognizing the need to align financial and business practices with sustainability goals.  Last week the UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) in Namibia hosted a training workshop in Walvis Bay, Erongo Region, bringing together key financial and private sector stakeholders to explore innovative financing mechanisms that promote environmental sustainability. The discussions underscored the vital role financial institutions and businesses play in…

Niël Terblanché TransNamib has suspended rail traffic on several lines over the past weekend to allow technical teams to repair infrastructure damaged by recent flooding. According to the national railway operator’s spokesperson, Abigail Raubenheimer, the damage has primarily affected routes in southern and western Namibia. "TransNamib wishes to inform the public and its valued customers that recent heavy rains across the country have led to washaways in certain sections of the railway network, particularly in the southern and western regions of Namibia," she said. The railway between Usakos and Arandis was among the affected routes, but it has already been…