Observer Money

Inflation maybe slowing in the country but this won’t reflect in shopping baskets. Inflation has dropped from an average of 5,9% in 2023 to 4.9% in 2024. But Simonis Storm Security noted that it is important to note that this does not necessarily translate to real gains, considering inflation levels still remain relatively high. “Moreover, there are potential risks to inflation, particularly in food prices, which could be worsened by the El Niño weather phenomenon, alongside elevated oil prices,” it said. Namibia is experiencing a more rapid slowdown in annual inflation than anticipated, with March seeing an annual inflation rate…

CHAMWE KAIRA Nictus Holdings Limited has disclosed that the first six months of the 2023 financial year, the group exceeded profits of the comparative period by 57%. The group said even within the high inflationary and interest rate environment, the group was able to increase retail sales and it is expected that retail sales continue on this trend. The insurance segment also exceeded premium expectations for the first six months of the year and will continue to do so. “The import strategies of the Group play a major role in the success achieved and will continue to do so in…

PATRICIA LOUW In the ever-evolving world of personal finance, understanding your credit bureau report is vital to making informed financial decisions. Your credit bureau report is a snapshot of your credit history, and it plays a crucial role in shaping your financial future. It is important to investigate the intricacies of credit bureau reports, exploring what they are, where to find them, the factors that influence your credit score, and actionable steps to improve your score. A credit report is a detailed record of your credit history compiled by credit reporting institutions called Credit Bureaus. These reports contain information about…

The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa has said citrus fruit quality for 2024 looks excellent, and the harvesting timing is expected to be normal. CEO Justin Chadwick said overall, an increase in export volume is expected. “This is a testament to the resilience of South African citrus growers, who produce more citrus under challenging circumstances, such as steep increases in input costs, load shedding, and deteriorating public infrastructure. This increase is also a result of younger trees coming into production across several regions.” The current prediction is that 37,9 million (15kg) cartons of lemons will be exported to key…

The prices of copper and zinc declined, while that of gold increased in 2023 over 2022. The average price of copper dropped by 3.8% to U$8490 per metric tonne in 2023. This was on the back of declining demand, especially from China. Meanwhile, zinc prices dropped by 23.8% to an average of US$2653 per metric tonne in 2023, chiefly attributed to weak demand, notably from China, Bank of Namibia statistics showed this week. On the positive side, the gold price increased by 7,9% to an average of US$1943 per ounce in 2023, mainly on the back of safe-haven demand driven…

The value of Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs) transactions processed by Namclear was significantly higher in 2023 than in 2022. EFT transactions processed increased to 27 million, valued at N$388 billion, which represents a 9% increase in volume and a 10% increase in value. Namclear is the Namibian Automated Clearing House (ACH) and is a designated Financial Markets Infrastructure (FMI) for the Namibian Payment Industry. It provides local clearing of interbank transactions, such as electronic fund transfers, card payments, and settlements on behalf of participants through the Namibian Interbank Settlement System (NISS), with the Bank of Namibia. The Bank of Namibia…

Paladin Energy Ltd has announced that uranium concentrate production and drumming were achieved at the Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) on 30 March 2024. The company said focus will now shift to production ramp-up and building a finished product inventory, ahead of shipments to customers. As part of the transition to production, Paladin’s Chief Operating Officer, Paul Hemburrow will assume responsibility for all LHM activities. Paladin said it will provide guidance for the 2025 financial year on LHM operational parameters in July this year. “Achieving first production at the Langer Heinrich Mine is an important milestone for Paladin. I would like…

The Bank of Namibia’s stock of international reserves declined marginally by 0,7% month-month to N$55,4 billion at the end of February. The fall was on the back of higher net commercial bank outflows coupled with government payments. The foreign reserves translated into 3,9 months of import cover, continuing to remain above the international benchmark of three months and adequate to support the Namibia dollar and the South African rand currency peg. Notably, the import cover excluding imports of oil exploration and appraisal activities stood at 4,4 months at the end of February, relative to the 4,5 months recorded at the…

Namibia Breweries Limited plans to join the Heineken global platform in the next 12 months to enable the company to leverage scale for cost benefits in packaging and raw material as legacy contracts conclude. Heineken International, acquired majority control of Namibia Breweries in 2021 in a deal estimated at around N$6.56 billion. The move to join the Heineken global platform, comes at a time when revenue from beer sales in Namibia decreased, compounded by a steep decline in revenue contribution from South Africa, driven by aggressive pricing tactics from competitors, according to NBL’s consolidated results for the six months ended…

CHAMWE KAIRA The Bank of Namibia is conducting research on the potential implications for the macro economy and the potential implications for exchange rate and monetary policy by the production of oil and gas. Governor Johannes ǃGawaxab said this week that the central bank is also studying the impact of oil and gas on the management of the Welwitschia Sovereign Wealth Fund. The Fund now stands at N$425 million. Namibia is yet to start oil and gas production but exploration activities has so far contributed positively to economic growth. ǃGawaxab said the contribution expected to keep rising as explorations intensify…