Author: Edgar Brandt (Edgar Brandt )

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Shafudah: Govt will not cut expenditure …instead seeks spending efficiency to eliminate leakages
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Shafudah: Govt will not cut expenditure …instead seeks spending efficiency to eliminate leakages

Government, through finance minister Ericah Shafudah, has reiterated it is not considering any drastic expenditure cuts. She said such cuts would have severe and lasting implications on the livelihood of society, as most of the expenditure goes to social spending.  Instead, government is implementing policy and structural reforms in the long term to place the...

House price decline offset by food increase
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House price decline offset by food increase

FNB analysts expect inflation to ease further to 3.3% year-on-year (y/y) in June, supported by favourable fuel base effects and muted utility inflation following NamPower’s lower-than-expected 3.8% tariff increase.  This outlook is contained in FNB’s Namibia’s CPI Review for May 2025, by its economist Helena Mboti. “With core inflation remaining elevated, we maintain our view...

Sub-Sahara Africa progresses in closing gender gap …women in lower- and middle-income economies move into formal jobs
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Sub-Sahara Africa progresses in closing gender gap …women in lower- and middle-income economies move into formal jobs

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks sixth in terms of the global gender gap, with a current score of 68% according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). In its latest Global Gender Gap Report 2025, released this week, the WEF notes Sub-Saharan Africa displays wide variation across countries, but its success stories demonstrate that progress is possible in...

Dippenaar strikes the elusive Tara trifecta 
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Dippenaar strikes the elusive Tara trifecta 

Never in the history of Namibia’s toughest rally has anyone won the event three times. That is, until this past weekend, when driver Wilro Dippenaar and his navigator Carolyn Swan, secured their third consecutive win at Namibia’s most iconic motorsport event, the oldest known rally in Africa and perhaps the toughest rally on the continent,...

Govt shifts to prioritise domestic borrowing  …as it aims to reduce reliance on volatile international capital 
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Govt shifts to prioritise domestic borrowing  …as it aims to reduce reliance on volatile international capital 

Government, through the finance ministry, is actively reducing the country’s reliance on external borrowing in favour of prioritising the domestic financial market. Currently, government’s borrowing plan involves financing government debt with 80% from domestic sources and borrowing and 20% from external sources. Moreover, most of Namibia’s external debt is denominated in South African Rand to...

Global copper market suffers from overcapacity  …Sinomine’s Tsumeb Smelter placed under care and maintenance 
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Global copper market suffers from overcapacity  …Sinomine’s Tsumeb Smelter placed under care and maintenance 

The global copper market is increasingly facing more and more challenges that are resulting in increased smelting capacity in major copper-producing regions, which ultimately translates into substantial overcapacity. This phenomenon, exacerbated by the negative impacts of United States tariffs on demand, outweighs supply growth and has led to a shortage of copper concentrate, placing pressure...

!Gawaxab calls for institutional agility, strategic foresight
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!Gawaxab calls for institutional agility, strategic foresight

Bank of Namibia (BoN) governor Johannes !Gawaxab this week highlighted the emergence of a new world order. He said it is defined by evolving geopolitical developments, intensified trade tensions and rapid technological advancement.  He noted that these new global dynamics are challenging traditional frameworks around globalisation, multilateralism and market openness. He called for enhanced institutional...

Telecom confirms uninterrupted service 
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Telecom confirms uninterrupted service 

“Bro, I’m lagging bro”, is not what gamers using Telecom Namibia’s internet services will be saying to each other while the West Africa Cable System (WACS) undergoes essential maintenance from 1 to 12 June 2025. The maintenance work is being carried out on the essential maintenance of the high-capacity broadband undersea internet cable system linking...

Decreasing diesel drives June fuel decrease
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Decreasing diesel drives June fuel decrease

A decrease in global diesel prices last month due to a combination of oversupply fears and trade tensions will see Namibians paying less at the fuel pumps during June. Global economic uncertainty, aggravated by Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO) policies, has contributed to weakened demand which could potentially surge if OPEC+ follows through to increase...