Observer Money

The JSE All Share Index closed at 101,836.00 points for the week of 25 to 29 August, down 0.86% from 102 724.00 points the previous week. Despite the weekly decline, the index has gained 21.10% since December 2024. Namibia’s Overall Index (N098) fell by 0.30% to 1,829.85 points. The Local Index (N099) inched up 0.04% to 754.49 points, marking a 9.14% increase since the end of 2024. Telecommunications (N15) remained unchanged at 282.92 points, while utilities (N65) also stayed flat at 1 107.49 points. Financials (N30) dropped 2.45% to 617.87 points and real estate (N35) declined 2.12% to 2,334.44 points,…

Chamwe Kaira The Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for fine jewelry businesses, is lobbying the United States  government to exempt diamonds from tariffs, a move that could affect Namibia’s diamond industry. JA said it met with Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing to President Donald Trump, and his staff in Washington, D.C. The talks focused on the challenges in the global supply chain for polished diamonds and the possibility of adding diamonds to the Annex II list of products excluded from tariffs as a critical mineral. JA president and CEO David Bonaparte was joined by…

Chamwe Kaira Japanese prime minister Ishiba Shigeru and Namibian prime minister Elijah Ngurare met in Japan, where it was revealed that Japanese companies are seeking investment opportunities in Namibia’s energy, mining, and green hydrogen sectors. Ngurare was in Japan to attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9).  Ishiba said Japan wants to work with Namibia through public and private partnerships, focusing on job creation and economic growth.  He also highlighted interest in agriculture, energy, and mineral resources, including green hydrogen, which is attracting growing attention from Japanese companies. Ngurare welcomed Japan’s support and expressed his desire…

Chamwe Kaira Logistics company Grindrod Limited handled 16 604 tonnes of bulk cargo at Walvis Bay in the first half of 2025, down from 134 443 tonnes in the same period last year.  The company operates a bulk and break-bulk terminal facility at the port. In the second half of 2024, Grindrod handled 109 890 tonnes at Walvis Bay, bringing the total for that year to 244 333 tonnes. In 2023, the company moved 305 336 tonnes at the same terminal. Chief executive officer Xolani Mbambo said in the 2025 interim results that performance rebounded strongly in the second quarter,…

Chamwe Kaira Namibia recorded a trade surplus of N$856 million in June, up from a revised surplus of N$341 million in May and compared to a deficit of N$762 million in June last year, statistician general and Namibia Statistics Agency CEO Alex Shimuafeni said. China was Namibia’s top export destination, while South Africa remained the main source of imports. Exports were dominated by mining commodities including uranium, non-monetary gold, diamonds, and copper. Fish was the only non-mineral product among the top five exports. Shimuafeni said re-exports fell by 5% month-on-month and 7.9% year-on-year. The re-export basket mainly comprised copper, nickel…

Chamwe Kaira The Langer Heinrich Mine recorded revenue of U$177.7 million in the 2025 financial year, Paladin Energy announced this week. The sales represented 2.7 million pounds of uranium oxide. The company said cost of sales stood at U$191.7 million, reflecting the ramp-up of operations. Commercial production at the mine resumed in March 2024, and operations ramped up steadily through 2025. The mine processed more than 3.6 million tonnes of ore during the year, producing 3 million pounds of uranium oxide. “The average plant recovery rate of 84% reflects the steady progress made during the year as the LHM team…

With less than a week to go before the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Global Policy Forum (GPF) 2025, the Bank of Namibia said this week that 800 delegates from across the African continent and beyond, will attend the forum to be held in Swakopmund.  Naufiku Hamunime, acting deputy director of corporate communications and sustainability said the forum, convening under the theme “Empowering Society, Enabling Growth,” represents one of the most significant financial inclusion gatherings globally and on the continent. She said the forum comes at a pivotal time for Namibia’s financial sector. On 28 July, the Bank of Namibia,…

In an address to the standing committee on economy and industry, public administration and planning of the National Assembly recently, Titus Nampala, Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), said the chamber must be seen not only as a convener but as a catalyst for inclusive economic transformation.” Nampala emphasised that the chamber’s renewed focus will facilitate that its members, from large corporates to MSMEs, are heard, represented and empowered.  “The chamber is here to amplify the voice of every Namibian business, big or small and to ensure that our policy environment reflects the realities…

Chamwe Kaira The Producer Price Index (PPI) for production recorded declines in the second quarter, dropping by -3.1% quarter-on-quarter and -2.5% year-on-year. The drop was mainly driven by falling manufacturing prices, which contracted by 9.3% compared to the previous quarter. Statistician general and Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) chief executive officer, Alex Shimuafeni, said the annual decline was mostly influenced by lower prices in the mining and quarrying sector, which fell by 5.1%. The PPI tracks average changes in prices received by domestic producers for goods and services sold locally and abroad. Despite the annual decline, the index for mining and…

Chamwe Kaira The Bank of Namibia’s government bond auction on Wednesday recorded bids over  N$3 billion against an initial offer of N$2 billion. The GC35 recorded  the highest demand, with tenders of N$585 million, or 24% of the total. Allocations reached N$312 million, double the initial offer of N$160 million.  The GC40 also drew interest of N$214 million against an offer of N$140 million, but no allocation was made. Across the GC board, N$1.5 billion was offered, yet N$1.7 billion was allocated, resulting in an overallocation. “It is interesting to note that the GC40 also attracted significant interest of N$214…