Observer Money

Staff Writer Orience’s Southern Africa team will host roadshows in Namibia and Zambia later this month to promote new international investment opportunities. The firm, known globally for offering residency and citizenship through investment, will hold its Windhoek roadshows from 17 to 19 November and in Lusaka, Zambia, from 19 to 21 November. Lisa Bathurst, Orience’s Southern Africa manager, said the sessions will help potential investors assess whether the Italian opportunity suits their financial and personal goals. “Potential investors must attend the roadshows to see whether the Italian opportunity would be a good fit for the investors and their families in…

Chamwe Kaira The FNB House Price Index recorded a 12-month average growth rate of 5.9% in the third quarter, down from 7.7% in the second quarter and 7.0% in the same period last year.  FNB Namibia said on Monday that despite the slowdown, the index remains resilient since exiting negative territory early this year. Price growth across the small, medium, large, and luxury segments stood at 4.4%, 0.3%, 1.9%, and -23.9%, respectively. Regionally, all areas recorded growth in the third quarter.  The central region rose by 4.8%, the coastal by 1.2%, the northern by 10.9%, and the southern by 8.5%,…

Chamwe Kaira Namibia’s inflation is expected to average between 3.5% and 3.8% in 2025, trending toward 4% in 2026 as fuel and utility costs stabilise at higher levels, according to analyst Almandro Jansen of Simonis Storm. Jansen said price pressures remain contained, but risks are tilted to the upside. “At its upcoming MPC meeting, we assign roughly a 60% probability to a further 25 basis points rate cut, aimed at supporting domestic demand while maintaining credibility in anchoring inflation expectations and preserving price stability,” he said. He noted that the inflation outlook remains steady but slightly upward. Moderating food prices…

Staff Writer The Roads Contractor Company (RCC) has entered into an agreement that allows it to receive and use brand-new equipment, including graders, tippers, dozers, drum rollers, excavators and loaders. RCC chief executive officer Dasius Nelumbu said the new machinery will help the company execute construction projects effectively and deliver on its mandate.  “For the past ten years, RCC was awarded construction projects which, due to lack of capacity in terms of equipment, were in most cases executed with a partner who had the required capacity. However, this arrangement could not yield the desired results because most of the projects’…

Staff Writer Telecommunications network services provider Paratus Group has launched “Paratus 500” following its expansion into seven new African markets this year. The new markets include Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. With the expansion, Paratus is now licensed to operate in 15 African countries. This makes the Group one of the first pan-African telecom companies to cover over 500 million people south of the equator, representing more than one-third of Africa’s population and GDP. Paratus 500 connects all 15 licensed operations through a single, contiguous telecom network. The infrastructure includes terrestrial fibre routes, subsea cable landings, and…

Staff Writer FNB Namibia has appointed Carpio Minnaar as head of operations. With more than 15 years of experience in business optimisation, operations leadership, and regulatory compliance, Minnaar brings expertise from the banking, ICT and telecommunications sectors. He has held senior and executive roles at Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC), Nedbank Namibia, and MTN Business Solutions. Known for aligning operations with business goals, Minnaar’s leadership will strengthen FNB Namibia Retail’s operational efficiency and service delivery. As head of operations, he will provide strategic and tactical direction while overseeing the management of the retail segment’s operations. His focus areas include improving efficiency,…

Chamwe Kaira The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reduced its losses to N$1 million for the financial year ending March 2025, down from N$8 million recorded in the previous year. The authority presented its 2024/2025 integrated annual report to the minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi, on 6 November.  It described the report as a reflection of strong financial recovery and improved operational performance. NCAA board chairperson Bethuel Mujetenga said the Authority achieved an unqualified audit opinion, showing solid governance and financial discipline. “For the financial year ending March 2025, the NCAA reduced its operational loss to just…

Chamwe Kaira FNB Namibia economist Cheryl Emvula says Namibia’s import coverage ratio could fall below the three-month target following the US$750 million eurobond redemption in October. According to the Bank of Namibia (BoN), international reserves stood at N$54.7 billion in September, down from N$57 billion in August.  The 4.1% monthly decline was driven by higher government external obligations and foreign payments. “Despite the reduction, reserves remain sufficient for the Bank of Namibia to fulfil its mandate of maintaining macroeconomic stability. At the current level, reserves cover 3.6 months of imports and four months excluding oil exploration and appraisal activities. Looking…

Staff Writer Andrada Mining Limited has improved its energy efficiency by 8%. The company also reduced hazardous waste generation by 64%. Overall, total waste dropped to 57 tonnes from 158 tonnes the previous year. The company said these results reflect its focus on climate action and responsible resource management. Andrada, a producer of critical minerals including tin, tantalum, lithium, tungsten, and copper, released its 2025 sustainability report last week.  The report outlines progress in environmental performance, health and safety, community impact and governance for the year ended 29 February 2025. The company also introduced the Andrada Nature Roadmap, a framework…

Staff writer Legislation alone will not solve Namibia’s growing cyber crisis, according to Mach 10, part of the O&L Group.  The company says the country faces a serious shortage of ICT professionals, especially in cybersecurity, network engineering, cloud computing and systems administration. The warning comes as the Namibia Cyber Security Incident Response team, housed at the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran), recorded over 1.1 million cyber threats and over 1.09 million vulnerabilities in the first half of 2025. This is the highest number since the national cybersecurity body was created. “These alarming figures underscore a reality that can no…