Page 235 – Windhoek Observer

03 Oct

SADC workshop warns of health risks from climate shocks

National News

Moses Magadza Participants at a capacity-building workshop underway in Johannesburg have warned that worsening climate shocks are undermining healthcare systems across Southern Africa, with women, adolescents, and vulnerable groups bearing the brunt. The SADC Parliamentary Forum, supported by Sweden, convened the workshop that began on Monday, focusing on strengthening evidence-based policymaking in parliament by integrating the connections between climate change, health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Through interactive group discussions, delegates examined how droughts, floods, and heatwaves are disrupting SRHR service delivery and reviewed the extent to which national climate frameworks integrate health, gender, and SRHR. Their…

03 Oct

Namibia steps boldly into the future with robotic retail innovation

Editorial

This past week marked a watershed moment for Namibia’s business and technology sectors. The Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, under the leadership of Executive Chairman Sven Thieme, unveiled the country’s first-ever robotic shopping assistant. It is a first not just for O&L but for Namibia, and indeed, a significant milestone that positions our nation squarely on the map of African and global retail innovation. In a world rapidly moving toward automation and AI-driven customer service, Namibia’s debut of a robotic retail assistant is more than a tech novelty; it is a bold statement of intent. It signals a future-ready mindset,…

03 Oct

Opuwo Youth Choir competes in Mauritius

Featured, National News

Staff Writer The Opuwo Youth Choir is representing Namibia at the African Asia Pacific Choir Games and Grand Prix of Nations. The choir games began in Mauritius on 27 September and will conclude this weekend. The directorate of arts under the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC) supported the choir’s participation as part of its mission to uplift Namibian artists, particularly the youth, by creating opportunities to showcase their talent on international platforms. Founded in 2015 by music director Mbaseua Tjongarero, the Opuwo Youth Choir unites young singers from the Kunene Region, many of whom come…

03 Oct

Tourists first, Namibians second

Opinions

Uzuva Kandjou The brochures paint a picture of paradise. Sun-drenched dunes cascading into an endless horizon. The haunting, skeletal trees of Deadvlei stand sentinel against a sapphire sky. The roar of a lion in the deep silence of Etosha. This is the Namibia sold to the world, a pristine, untouched wilderness, an escape for those with the means to chase its raw beauty. But for many Namibians, this picture is a cruel mirage. It is a paradise they can see, a beauty that exists on their ancestral lands, but one they can never afford to enter. In the heart of…

03 Oct

From New York to Philadelphia, Namibia steps onto the global stage

Opinions

PAUL T. SHIPALE (with inputs by Folito Nghitongovali Diawara Gaspar) Introduction When President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), she did more than fulfil a diplomatic duty. She signalled that Namibia, under her leadership, is stepping boldly onto the global stage not as a spectator, but as a shaper of international discourse. From New York’s high corridors of power to Philadelphia’s civic halls, the Namibian president carried a clear message: the nation is open for business, serious about reform, and ready to lead with principle. A woman at the helm, a nation…

03 Oct

Viva Assata Shakur! Viva Cuba!

Opinions

Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Angela Davis, Donald DeFreeze, Elaine Brown, Eldridge Cleaver, Fay Bellamy Powell, Fred Hampton, George Jackson, Gloria Richardson, Hakim Jamal, Huey P. NewtonJohn Africa, , Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., Maulana Karenga, Malik Zulu Shabazz. What do all these names have in common? One cannot mention the likes of Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr, and Angela Davis without conjuring up a picture of a struggling people in America going back to the civil rights movement of the people of African descent whose forebears were taken as slaves from Africa. Add to them Assata…

03 Oct

August sees record breaking N$5.3 billion deficit

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira August recorded a trade deficit of N$5.3 billion, the highest on record, statistician general and Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) chief executive officer Alex Shimuafeni said on Thursday. The figure shows a sharp decline from July, when the deficit stood at only N$13 million. This, he said, is a worse off-trade balance when compared to a deficit of N$13 million recorded in the previous month. "Between August 2024 and August 2025, the country experienced persistent trade deficits, with a consecutive trade surplus occurring in May and June 2025. Over this period, the trade balance averaged a deficit of N$2.7…

03 Oct

Power imports from Eskom reached N$1.5 billion

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia imported 1 079 GWh of electricity from South Africa in the financial year ending 31 March 2025, according to Eskom’s international sales by country report. The imports cost Namibia N$1.5 billion in revenue contributions to Eskom. Eskom’s 2025 reporting suite covers the financial year ended 31 March 2025 and includes events up to 29 September, when the board approved the reports. Namibia’s imports more than doubled from 423 GWh in 2024 but were below the 1,653 GWh recorded in 2022. During the same period, Eskom concluded a firm supply agreement with Namibia, Botswana and Zambia to strengthen…

03 Oct

Bank Windhoek gets ratings upgrade

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira The GCR Ratings has upgraded Bank Windhoek Limited’s Namibian long-term national scale issuer rating to AA+(NA) from AA(NA). The short-term issuer rating was affirmed at A1+(NA). The South African long-term issuer rating also moved up to A+(ZA) from A(ZA). The outlooks remain stable, the rating agency said. The ratings reflect a strong franchise, disciplined governance, adequate capital, and sound funding and liquidity, with stable risk metrics. “The principal exogenous swing factor is Botswana’s liquidity cycle, negatively impacting Botswana-based Bank Gaborone Limited’s (BG) financial profile,” GCR said. Bank Windhoek is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Capricorn Group and represents…

03 Oct

Truworths keeps 12 stores in Namibia despite regional growth

Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Fashion retailer Truworths International has reaffirmed its presence in Namibia with 12 stores across the country as part of its African retail footprint. The group operates 33 outlets outside South Africa, including 12 in Namibia, 12 in Botswana, five in Eswatini, two in Zambia, and two in Lesotho. Truworths, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Namibian Stock Exchange, and A2X, said it is strengthening customer access through both physical and digital channels. Its online platform grew rapidly in 2025, with e-commerce sales rising 33.7% to account for 6.5% of Truworths Africa’s total retail sales. The company confirmed…