The Merck Foundation has officially launched its call for submissions for the 2026 Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards, inviting journalists, media professionals, and media students across regional and international outlets to apply. The initiative aims to honour impactful reporting that drives social change and elevates public health awareness across communities. The closing date for applications is 30 September, and winners from each category- print, radio, online, and multimedia will win US$500. The Foundation stated that the awards also provide a unique platform to be recognised and celebrate as a media professional who is using their voice to create awareness, influence positive social change and improve the health and well-being of communities across Africa. “Professionals who have written about infertility stigma, girls’ education, child marriage, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence and women’s empowerment are encouraged to apply. You can apply at https://merck-foundation.com/Awards-Online-Application, and you can submit multiple entries to increase your...

The insurance conglomerate, Momentum Metropolitan has launched an incubation programme for small businesses that are already operational, in partnership with small business developer, Basecamp Business Incubator. Launched under the label ‘Founders Ignite’ the programme runs on a simple premise that there are many small businesses and budding entrepreneurs with solid business ideas but with little access to support in the form of entrepreneurship development, guidance through the incubation period, and technical support for the founder. Momentum Metropolitan Namibia’s Group Executive of Marketing and Communications, Denille Roostee, said at the launch, “When we named this programme Founders Ignite, the word ignite was intentional. We believe Namibia does not lack potential, ideas or ambition. Sometimes, that potential only needs a spark to access opportunity, knowledge, networks and people willing to back what is possible. Founders Ignite is about recognising what already exists in our entrepreneurs and creating the conditions to grow. When...

Standard Bank Namibia has officially handed over brand-new, permanent homes to four families in Okahandja’s Oshetu 1 community, marking a major milestone for local residents. The keys were delivered through the bank’s long-running Buy-a-Brick Initiative, which focuses on providing safe, low-cost housing to families in informal settlements. The handover forms part of Standard Bank Namibia’s N$2.5 million investment in the Buy-a-Brick Initiative, implemented in partnership with the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) and the Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG), to support the construction of houses in communities across the country. The four homes handed over in Okahandja were made possible through the support of VIVO Energy Namibia, BodyWise, Standard Bank Private Bank and Ninety One Namibia, whose contributions have helped provide deserving families with safe, secure and dignified housing. The handover ceremony was attended by Her Worship Iileni Mutumbulwa, Mayor of Okahandja; Honourable John Julius //Khamuseb, Governor of the...

The livestock sector recorded a sharp uptick in activity during July, with total cattle marketing surging by 31.85% month-on-month to reach 30,653 head, according to the latest figures released by the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN). The growth was particularly driven by a 73.14% month-on-month increase in live exports to 13,008 head and an 18.51% month-on-month rise in A-class export abattoir slaughter to 15,585 head. However, BCC class abattoir throughput declined by 20.31% month-on-month to 2,060 head. South Africa remained the dominant destination for the country’s live cattle exports, accounting for 95.94%, which translates to 12,480 head. These exports consisted entirely of feeder cattle destined for South African feedlots. Angola accounted for 4.05% of total live exports, comprising 75 breeding cattle and 452 cattle, while Botswana accounted for the remaining 0.01%, comprising breeding cattle. Overall, feedlot cattle accounted for 95.94% of total live cattle exports, followed by...

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) and regional electricity distributor NORED Electricity signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday in Ondangwa, forging a strategic partnership to accelerate national digital transformation. The landmark agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the telecommunications regulator and the northern electricity utility, leveraging existing energy infrastructure to expand broadband access and improve network reach in rural areas. According to a joint statement, the partnership recognises the increasing convergence of communication and electricity infrastructure and the need for coordinated efforts to expand access to essential services across the country “The five-year non-binding agreement establishes a framework for collaboration between our organisations in areas of mutual interest, including information and data sharing, facilitation of rural electrification and broadband connectivity initiatives, capacity building, regulatory cooperation and knowledge exchange.” Under the MoU, the parties will maintain regular consultations on matters of common interest and exchange information to...

By Tueripura Mundingi. For decades, the words “uranium mine” have conjured the same picture: vast open pits, roaring excavators, blasting operations, and workers in hard hats moving mountains of rock. For many Namibians, this image is familiar. The country’s world-famous uranium industry has long been defined by large open-pit operations such as Rössing and Husab. But a new generation of uranium projects is beginning to challenge that picture. Instead of giant haul trucks and deep excavations, these sites may consist of little more than rows of wells connected by pipelines and monitored by computers. And instead of relying primarily on heavy equipment operators, they depend on hydrogeologists, data analysts, process engineers and specialists who can interpret information flowing from digital monitoring systems in real time. The technology behind this shift is in situ recovery (ISR), sometimes called in situ leaching. Rather than removing large volumes of rock, ISR extracts uranium...

By Imanuel Hawanga NAMFISA Capital Markets General Manager Namibia stands at a pivotal moment in the evolution of its financial sector. While Banking has traditionally dominated the financial landscape, capital markets are increasingly emerging as an important engine for economic growth, infrastructure financing, wealth creation and financial inclusion. The question is no longer whether Namibia needs a deeper capital market, e.g., making the market larger, more liquid and more active, but rather how quickly the country can unlock its full potential. Who are the key players in Namibia’s capital markets? Capital markets in Namibia involve a broad ecosystem of participants including government, regulators, institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies, asset managers), securities exchanges, stockbrokers, central securities depository, issuers of securities (listed companies, private companies, public entities) and individual investors. The Bank of Namibia, the Namibia Securities Exchange (NSX), pension funds and insurance companies, investment managers, corporate and individual investors also...

Bank Windhoek has made capital market history by becoming the first financial institution and corporate bond issuer in Namibia to successfully dematerialise an NSX-listed corporate bond into the Central Securities Depository (CSD). The historic transaction involved the bank’s N$250.5 million BWJh28L Sustainability-Linked Bond, originally issued in August 2025, converting the physical paper-based security into a secure electronic record within the CSD infrastructure. The move follows the launch of Namibia’s CSD in December 2025 by the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX), developed in partnership with the Bank of Namibia and regulated by the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA). The Bank, in an announcement on Wednesday, said the milestone is about more than converting a physical certificate into an electronic record. It reflects the Bank’s commitment to partnering in and piloting national priorities that contribute to the development of Namibia’s financial ecosystem. Under the dematerialised system, ownership of the bond is recorded...

The President H.E. Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has called on all Namibians to actively safeguard the nation’s hard-won freedom and uphold the selfless spirit of the anti-colonial struggle, speaking at a solemn reburial ceremony at Heroes’ Acre on Monday. The President’s address came as the remains of six liberation struggle heroes were officially reinterred at the national monument on the outskirts of Windhoek. The historic event brought together cabinet ministers, military veterans, traditional leaders, and family members to honor the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for Namibia’s independence. Speaking at the ceremony, Nandi-Ndaitwah described the reinterment as an act of restorative justice that returned dignity and recognition to those who sacrificed their lives for Namibia‘s independence. “Reinterment is not just the movement of human remains from one place to another. It is the restoration of dignity,” she said. The ceremony followed Namibia‘s receipt last Friday of 84 ancestral human remains...

A high-level Namibian delegation led by the governors of five northern regions is currently attending the Huíla Expo 2026 in Angola to deepen cross-border economic ties and explore strategic investment opportunities. Expo Huíla 2026 kicked off from 19 to 24 August at the AAPCIL Exhibition Park in Lubango, Angola. The delegation includes the governors of Oshana, Omusati, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, and Kunene, along with approximately 70 business leaders and key stakeholders. As Angola’s oldest multi-sector trade fair, the event showcases diverse industries including manufacturing, trade, vocational education and training (TVET), tourism, and agriculture. According to the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology in the Oshana Region, the mission serves as a critical strategic platform to strengthen economic partnerships and drive trade between the two neighboring nations. The presence of a massive business contingent underscores a growing push by regional leaders to connect local Namibian enterprises with Angola’s expanding markets and industrial...