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In the earlier part of this decade, the pinnacle of professional success was often signalled by the "grand escape". Young professionals would hoard their leave days for an entire year, sacrificing their weekends and pushing through burnout, all for the promise of a frantic, two-week international odyssey. We travel halfway across the globe to "relax", yet we spend those days navigating airport logistics, managing currency exchanges, and sticking to rigid sightseeing itineraries. By the time we returned to our desks, we often felt more exhausted than when we left, needing a "vacation from our vacation". As we close out 2025,…

Renthia Kaimbi Four former interim board members of the National Youth Council (NYC) have taken minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp to court, claiming she breached a settlement agreement by appointing a new interim board.  The urgent application was filed last month and seeks to overturn the minister’s decision. The applicants, Hendrik Pandulomwene Theofilus, Vistoria Iita, Curtis Andrew and Serron Nghoshi, filed the case against 19 respondents, including the ministers of education and finance, the NYC and several former and current board members. They were appointed as interim board members by former minister of Sport,…

Staff Writer Showmax is producing a South African adaptation of the global comedy hit The Office, licensed by BBC Studios. The new series, titled Die Kantoor, is filmed mainly in Afrikaans. kykNET will air a preview of the first episode at 20:00 on Sunday, 18 January, ahead of the Showmax double-episode premiere on Tuesday, 20 January. It has been more than 20 years since the world was introduced to the mockumentary style of The Office, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Metacritic lists the original British version as the best-reviewed comedy series of all time. The American version won…

Chamwe Kaira Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power Limited (Anirep) has recorded a loss before taxation of N$16.8 million for the interim period, compared to a loss of N$5.8 million last year. The group said the loss was driven by the timing of interest expense recognition after capitalisation stopped on some facilities and by higher funding deployed before full revenue ramp-up. The group’s asset base rose to N$1.2 billion as of 31 August, up from N$1 billion in the same period last year. No interim dividends were declared or paid. Anirep said the commissioning of the Khan Moses Mague //Garoëb PV…

Chamwe Kaira Simonis Storm Securities says the Bank of Namibia’s monetary easing cycle is slowly filtering into the real economy, even as short-term credit growth shows signs of cooling. Simonis Storm economist Almandro Jansen said the October 2025 data points to a more measured phase in the credit cycle. Private sector credit extension eased to 4.7% year-on-year in October from 5.9% in September. Both households and corporates pulled back on borrowing. Jansen linked the slowdown to tighter liquidity conditions after the government’s Eurobond repayment, which temporarily shifted funds away from private-sector lending. “Even with the moderation, PSCE remains above the…

Chamwe Kaira Alexander Forbes Namibia (Alexforbes) reported 2% growth for the six months ended 30 September, driven by higher administration, consulting and advice fee revenue. The company said the increase was partly offset by lower asset-based income following the implementation of direct asset management fees from South Africa. Alexforbes has initiated a process to decommission legacy fund administration platforms and consolidate its administration systems throughout South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The company said the project, launched in mid-2025, is progressing on schedule and is expected to improve client experience, deliver cost efficiencies and support scalability over the medium to long…

Staff Writer The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) says the global economy remains sluggish, even though the impact of recent global trade tariffs has been smaller than expected. The bank said reciprocal tariffs disrupted trade, raised geopolitical tensions and increased the cost of doing business. Across Africa, economic prospects have improved slightly, but high debt continues to weigh on governments. DBSA warned that debt repayments are diverting funds away from development and social services, putting long-term growth at risk. In South Africa, the bank described the economic environment as fragile. Growth is held back by weak investment, persistent unemployment,…

Staff Writer Standard Bank Group says its performance for the ten months to 31 October 2025 stayed in line with the trends reported in the first half of the year. The bank said its full-year guidance remains unchanged. In a voluntary trading update, the group said the economic environment across its sub-Saharan African markets showed easing inflation and lower interest rates. Nigeria, Angola and Ghana recorded more stability following economic reforms, while Malawi and Mozambique continued to face high levels of sovereign stress. South Africa also experienced lower inflation and interest rates, with the central bank cutting rates by 100…

Justicia Shipena The Supreme Court has this week dismissed an appeal by aspiring Rehoboth Baster traditional leader Rynault van Wyk, who wanted the court to overturn the 2021 election of kaptein Herbert George Britz. Van Wyk lost the election and argued that the process was irregular, unfair and not conducted under the Baster Paternal Laws of 1872. The election took place on 24 April 2021 after the deaths of kaptein John McNab in October 2020 and acting kaptein Barney Buys a month later. Cyril Pienaar was then appointed acting kaptein and formed an election committee to organise the vote. Van…