The Petroleum Training and Education Fund (Petrofund) this week unveiled its new brand identity, inaugurated its head office and launched its revamped website alongside PetroConnect, a digital CV repository system. Petrofund’s refreshed brand identity features two intertwined petroleum drops, symbolising strong collaboration between public and private institutions and reaffirming Namibia’s commitment to developing local expertise in the upstream petroleum sector....
IATA urges release of US$1.2b in blocked funds
Out of total US$1.2 billion of global aviation industry funds blocked by governments, 93% of the capital is trapped in Africa and Middle East (AME) countries. In fact, 10 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia account for 89% of the total blocked funds, amounting to US$1.08 billion. The AME region total blocked funds are spread across 26...
African aviation demand rises fastest globally …but continent’s profitability margins linger in limbo
Air travel growth in Africa is projected to hit 6% in 2026, exceeding the global average anticipated at 4.9%, slightly above the 5.2% expected this year. However, despite outshining the rest of the world in terms of air travel growth, the African aviation industry’s profit margins of 1.3% still lack the lustre as African airlines continue to face some of...
Opinion – Just be responsible
The financial gurus say you need to have a “retirement car.” Well, my ‘retirement car’ will just have the basics, automatic transmission, rear assist parking, lights that turn on when it’s dark, and most importantly, an engine that can handle the air conditioner. But no matter how fancy the car, the driver behind the wheel is ultimately responsible not only...
Opinion – Socialist thought with a Namibian heart
About three weeks ago, I wrote an article arguing that Namibia needs a socialist leader for social and economic growth. It was published in both the New Era newspaper and the Namibian Economist. I unexpectedly stirred some controversy with that piece. I have received lunch invitations and text messages praising my bold advocacy for socialism, while others chose to critique...
Opinion – Trustee fiduciary responsibility in volatile markets, lessons
The 2020s have reminded us that financial markets are not only complex but also increasingly unpredictable. From the pandemic-driven crash of 2020 to the inflation and interest rate surges of 2022– 2024, trustees of pension funds have been confronted with volatile conditions that tested both their technical competence and their fiduciary integrity. In such times, the trustee’s role extends beyond...
Opinion – Job creation: Balancing needs and wants
Namibia stands at a crossroads. With 70% of our population under 35, we possess what many nations can only dream of: a young, energetic demographic capable of driving innovation, production, and economic transformation. Regretfully, we are also burdened by soaring unemployment rates, a growing semi-skilled workforce, and a tertiary education system that seems to operate in isolation from the true...
Opinion – Rule of law, Angolan street children’s plight
Namibia, as part of international law through its Constitution and the United Nations, is therefore bound by international law. It is a law applied to her. International law governs relations between states and grants power and authority to a sovereign State, meaning the state has control over its own territory and destiny. However, with the emergence of foreign Angolan street...
Opinion – Open letter to education minister
Bantu education taught us about lizards, frogs, amoebas, the names of the world’s capital cities, the longest rivers, etc. What we learned in school didn’t prepare us for the real world outside because of the way the Bantu education was designed and drafted. It was designed in such a way that whites created a black workforce that could run the...
Botswana returnees get plots, assistance …N$175m invested in repatriation process
Hundreds of Botswana returnees of Namibian descent, currently housed at a reception area in the Gam settlement, will finally have places of their own to call home. This follows government’s announcement that some will receive resettlement units at farms across the Otjozondjupa region, while others will be resettled at Otjipaheua village in the Gam area. Land reform minister Inge Zaamwani...