Observer Money

Staff Writer  Namibia’s student housing market is set for a digital shift with the launch of Pozi, a platform that links students and graduates with landlords offering safe and affordable accommodation.  The platform aims to simplify the search process while improving security and transparency in the rental market. Each year, thousands of students move to towns and cities for their studies and face costly and stressful housing searches.  Many depend on informal networks, which expose them to scams and unsafe living conditions.  Landlords also face challenges with tenant management and irregular rental payments.  Pozi seeks to address both sides by…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia’s official stock of international reserves increased slightly at the end of November 2025, supported mainly by revaluation gains, according to the Bank of Namibia’s (BoN) money and banking statistics. Month-on-month, official reserves rose by 1.2% to N$49.2 billion at the end of November.  The increase was driven by favourable price movements on fixed-income securities and a modest rise in customer foreign currency placements by commercial banks.  At this level, reserves were enough to cover an estimated 3.2 months of imports, or 3.6 months when oil and gas exploration-related imports are excluded. Liquidity conditions in the banking sector…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia’s economy continues to grow, but at a slower pace. Gross domestic product expanded by 1.9% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, according to recent data.  Growth has remained positive, but momentum has softened compared to 2024, reflecting uneven performance across sectors and continued pressure on domestic demand. Almandro Jansen, an economist at Simonis Storm Securities, said the third-quarter outcome points to a weaker underlying trend than first expected. This follows stronger growth of 2.8% in the first quarter and a softer performance in the second quarter. “Economic activity is still expanding, but the pace has clearly…

Staff Writer  Travel insurance has become a key part of trip planning, whether for a family holiday, a business journey or a short getaway. From medical emergencies to lost luggage and trip cancellations, experts say the right cover can prevent serious financial strain. Franco Feris, chief executive officer at Santam Namibia Limited, said travellers need to understand what their policies actually cover.  “Travel insurance isn’t just paperwork for visa applications. It’s a legal contract between you and your insurer, designed to protect you when things don’t go according to plan,” he said. The level of cover depends on the trip.…

Wandile Sihlobo  I know people often forget what they paid for groceries a few months ago, let alone last year.  Things seem to be getting expensive every day, especially with our tough economic conditions in South Africa. Still, I think it is essential to highlight welcome data developments when we see some.  We are ending this year with food price inflation, the rate at which prices increase, cooling off the levels we have not seen in years. For example, after slowing to 2.8% in October 2024, South Africa’s consumer food price inflation decelerated notably to 1.6% in November, the lowest…

Chamwe Kaira  Namibia’s diamond, uranium, zinc and gold production showed mixed results in the third quarter of 2025, reflecting weak market conditions, operational challenges and shifting prices, according to the Bank of Namibia’s (BoN) third quarter 2025 quarterly bulletin. Diamond production fell both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter. Output reached 442 012 carats, a 3.5% drop from a year earlier and a 15.3% decline from the previous quarter. BoN said the fall followed deliberate production cuts, mainly at Debmarine Namibia, in response to weak global demand.  Lower diamond prices, growing competition from lab-grown diamonds and high inventory levels weighed on the sector.…

Chamwe Kaira Paladin Energy Ltd has completed a restructure of its syndicated debt facility, cutting its total debt capacity to U$110 million (about N$2.09 billion) as its liquidity position improves. The uranium producer said the restructure with lenders Nedbank Limited, Nedbank Namibia Limited and Macquarie Bank was executed on 18 December, subject to the completion of customary conditions. The original facility was arranged in January 2024, ahead of the restart of production at Paladin’s Langer Heinrich Mine in the Erongo Region and before the company acquired Fission Uranium Corp. Since then, Paladin’s financial position has strengthened, supported by the completion…

Chamwe Kaira Construction at the Etango Uranium Project is progressing steadily, with Bannerman Energy reporting strong advances across early works activities that remain on budget and on schedule. The contractor workforce on site has grown to more than 370 people as construction activity increases. Bulk earthworks are now just over halfway complete, with work focused on the heap leach pads. Blasting, crushing and screening of drainage aggregate for the heap leach facility are also progressing as planned and meeting required standards. Concrete works have entered a key phase. Bannerman has awarded contracts for Phase 1 and Phase 2A, and construction…

Staff Writer The government aims to raise the fisheries sector’s contribution to gross domestic product from N$10.4 billion to N$10.7 billion by 2030 under the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6). Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani said NDP6 sets clear targets for the fisheries and aquatic resources sub-sector.  These include rebuilding fish biomass to maximum sustainable yield, reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, increasing value addition, and expanding employment. She said meeting these targets requires close cooperation between government and industry.  She added that fishing rights holders play a central role in meeting national goals…

Chamwe Kaira The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Botswana’s interest in increasing its stake in De Beers could heighten economic risks, given fiscal pressures and the country’s heavy reliance on the diamond sector. The fund said Botswana could achieve stronger economic outcomes by adopting a broad adjustment strategy that combines fiscal consolidation with structural reforms aimed at diversifying the economy. Such measures, the IMF said, would help support growth, contain public debt and protect international reserve buffers. The IMF highlighted uncertainty in the global diamond market, pointing to the rapid growth of lab-grown diamonds. While lab-grown diamonds are…