Observer Money

Staff Writer Spreads between Namibian and South African government bonds widened in 2025 as yields in the two markets moved in different directions, the Bank of Namibia said. South African bond yields declined during the year, supported by improved investor sentiment and policy signals from the South African Reserve Bank.  The central bank reduced its repo rate by 100 basis points to 6.75% by 20 November 2025. The shift to a single-point 3% inflation target also supported expectations of lower inflation and reduced risk premiums. Global conditions also played a role. The Federal Reserve cut policy rates by 75 basis…

Staff Writer  Nominees for the inaugural MTC Namibia Branding and Marketing Excellence Awards have been announced, with organisers confirming 44 shortlisted entries from 109 submissions. The awards recognise work in Namibia’s branding and marketing sector across 15 categories.  Most categories feature three nominees, except for Best TV Commercial of the Year. Tim Ekandjo said all entries went through a vetting process led by an independent panel of judges. He said the evaluation focused on innovation, creativity, market impact and contribution to the industry. Ekandjo stated that the process was designed to ensure fairness and that only submissions with measurable impact…

Chamwe Kaira  The government plans to include nuclear energy in Namibia’s long-term power expansion as part of efforts to increase electricity supply and reduce reliance on imports. The plan forms part of the ministry’s 2025/26 to 2029/30 strategic framework, which sets out steps to expand local power generation and improve energy access. Officials say nuclear energy will form part of a broader energy mix that also includes renewable energy and improved grid systems. The aim is to provide reliable and affordable electricity for households and industry. Namibia plans to increase its installed electricity generation capacity from 734 megawatts in 2024…

Chamwe Kaira  Fraud losses in Namibia’s banking sector have risen sharply over the past five years, reaching N$73.9 million in 2025, according to new data from the central bank. In 2021, total fraud losses stood at N$13.3 million. Card fraud was the main driver at N$6.8 million, followed by e-money fraud at N$3.6 million and EFT fraud at N$2.9 million. In 2022, losses more than doubled to N$31.5 million. EFT fraud increased to N$14.5 million and became the largest contributor, overtaking card fraud. The rise continued in 2023, with total fraud reaching N$46.7 million. EFT fraud accounted for N$17.4 million,…

The Financial Institutions and Markets Act (Fima) is being implemented under Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) supervision following a formal directive from the minister of finance.  This marks a decisive step toward stronger governance, financial stability, and consumer protection in Namibia, according to Namfisa. According to Namfisa, Fima strengthens Namibia’s non-banking financial sector by promoting consumer protection, transparency, and sound governance. Importantly, the Act will be implemented effectively without the regulation on the preservation of retirement benefits, ensuring regulatory progress continues while safeguarding the public interest. Observer Money talks to Carmen Diehl, the senior manager for risk management &…

Staff Writer  The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has disbursed N$1 billion to support the development of healthcare infrastructure in Namibia. The funding forms part of the government's RoadMap initiative led by the Ministry of Health and Social Services and aligned with the medium-term expenditure framework. The programme supports national priorities under the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).  It is led by the Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services. DBN said it mobilised the financing to support the programme. The N$1 billion will fund the construction and…

Staff Writer International reserves fell to N$51.7 billion at the end of February, according to the Bank of Namibia. The decline of 0.3% from January was driven by net outflows of South African rand and withdrawals of foreign currency by customers. Despite the drop, reserves remained adequate. They provided import cover of 3.3 months, or 3.7 months when excluding oil and gas-related imports.  The reserves were also equal to about 9.8 times the currency in circulation, supporting the Namibian dollar’s peg to the South African rand and the country’s ability to meet short-term obligations. At the same time, banking sector…

Chamwe Kaira  Corporate bonds listed on the Namibia Securities Exchange (NSX) and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) increased by N$449 million at the end of 2025. The total stock of bonds issued by Namibian corporates rose from N$7.4 billion in 2024. The NSX lists approximately 95.7% of these bonds, while the JSE lists 4.3%. The increase was driven by new bond issuances and the maturity of existing bonds. Commercial banks issued the largest share of corporate bonds during the year, amounting to N$6.2 billion. Other corporations issued N$1.5 billion, while state-owned enterprises issued N$130 million. In October 2025, Namibia fully…

Staff Writer FlyNamibia has launched scheduled flights between Windhoek Eros Airport and Lüderitz in partnership with Shell Namibia Upstream B.V. The flights will operate from 2 April to 22 April 2026 to support increased travel demand in the region. The airline said the service is aimed at improving movement for residents, workers and business travellers during a period of high activity in Lüderitz. FlyNamibia chief executive officer Nerine Uys said the partnership supports access to the town. “FlyNamibia is proud to partner with Shell to deliver reliable connectivity to Lüderitz at a time when accessibility is critical for both the…

Chamwe Kaira  The City of Windhoek has warned that changes in property valuations may affect municipal bills and could result in backdated charges if updates are not submitted on time. The city said property valuations are carried out to ensure accurate billing.  A general valuation takes place every five years, while interim valuations are done when changes occur. Any change in property value may increase monthly municipal bills. If updates are delayed, charges may be applied from an earlier date. The city said charges affected include rates on land, property improvements and waste management fees. Several factors can trigger a…