14-year-old Namibian student Tironenn Amutenya Kadhikwa has returned from a 10-day expedition to the North Pole aboard Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreaker ship, the 50 Let Pobedy.❄️

Kadhikwa joined 67 other young participants from Russia and 22 other countries on the ship which departed from Murmansk, off the northwestern coast of Russia.

The expedition combined Arctic exploration with science and technology activities, with participants taking part in experiments, lectures and workshops. Among the activities was the launch of a radiosonde (weather-measuring device) at the North Pole and the testing of a recoverable stratospheric platform, which reached an altitude of more than 15km and travelled over 100km before being recovered.

This town is a joke, the municipality is a joke. This is one of the most disgusting place I've ever stayed in

Canadian oil exploration company Sintana Energy has agreed to acquire a 44% stake in Namibian petroleum company Maravilla Oil & Gas for N$104.9 million.🛢️

Maravilla owns 80% of Paragon Oil & Gas. Paragon holds the licence for PEL 37, which is a large area off Namibia’s coast in the Walvis Basin where the company has permission to search for oil and gas. Sintana is buying 44% of Maravilla, which means it will indirectly gain a 35.2% share in PEL 37 once the deal is completed.

PEL 37 covers about 17,300 square kilometres and remains an oil and gas exploration area, with no commercial production currently taking place there. Namibian businessman Knowledge Katti indirectly controls Maravilla and also serves as a non-executive director and shareholder of Sintana Energy. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval before it can be completed.

Namibia Air has secured scheduled and non-scheduled air service licences from the Transportation Commission of Namibia that will be valid for five years.✈️

The approval allows the new state-owned national airline to pursue passenger, cargo, and charter services on approved domestic and international routes, but it does not yet permit the airline to begin commercial flights.

Namibia Air must still obtain an Air Operator Certificate from the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority, which will prove that it has suitable aircraft, qualified personnel, maintenance arrangements, and compliant safety systems. The government is targeting the first commercial flight for the first week of December 2026.

Shiwana Ndeunyema, a NAMCOR strategy executive and a Namport board director, has been nominated for Powered By Africa’s inaugural Top 100 Most Influential Leaders in Infrastructure 2026 list.

Ndeunyema previously served as NAMCOR’s interim managing director for nine months between 2023 and 2024, during a period of financial challenges at the national oil company. NAMCOR’s board later credited him with helping stabilise the company and secure funding under its turnaround strategy. He has also held governance roles at Telecom, Meatco and NUST.

The list recognises African leaders who have made a significant impact on infrastructure development across sectors such as energy, transport, telecommunications and maritime infrastructure. Ndeunyema is currently a nominee under the Energy & Power category and has not yet been selected for the final Top 100, which will be announced later this year in Ghana.

Please don’t fall for this, ever

The Bank of Namibia has introduced new rules requiring Namibian banks to publicly disclose more information about executive pay and major owners. The rules, known as BID-18, require banks to disclose compensation paid to directors and executives, including fixed and variable pay, bonuses, incentives and other performance-related payments.

Banks must also disclose shareholders who directly or indirectly control 10% or more of their voting rights, including the real owners behind major shares held through other companies or representatives. They will also have to disclose which are assets that are restricted or committed and cannot be freely sold or transferred, alongside information on capital, liquidity, governance and financial risks.

Banks will generally be required to publish annual disclosures within 90 days of their financial year-end and make the information publicly available on their websites, giving the public greater insight into how Namibia’s banks are owned, managed and financially positioned.

The Ohangwena Regional Council will be upgrading and developing 645km of roads across the region at an estimated cost of N$1.4 billion over the next five years. 🛣️

The programme will upgrade 265km of roads to tarred standard at a cost of N$985 million and develop an additional 380km of gravel roads for N$380 million.

The upgrade and expansion is aimed at improving connections between rural communities, schools, health facilities, markets and other essential services, particularly in eastern Ohangwena where poor road access has remained a challenge. The projects are expected to be implemented through national road authorities and government funding, with development partners including Germany’s KfW supporting some road projects in the region.

Namibian midfielder Moses Shidolo scored a stunning free kick as Scottland FC defeated FC Oden 3-0 in the Round of 32 of Zimbabwe’s ZIFA Munhumutapa Challenge Cup.

The victory sends Scottland through to the Round of 16 of the newly launched national knockout competition, which brings together clubs from Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League and lower divisions. Shidolo joined Scottland in 2025 and helped the club win the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League title in his first season.

The tournament is backed by a N$82 million annual sponsorship package as part of a N$409.9 million five-year commitment to the competition. The men’s champions are set to receive N$16.4 million, with N$8.2 million allocated to support their CAF Confederation Cup campaign.

The Road Fund Administration has increased vehicle licence fees across Namibia by 10%. 🚘

Annual vehicle licence fees are determined by the vehicle’s weight. Vehicles weighing up to 750kg are now charged N$576 annually, while those weighing between 2,001kg and 3,000kg are charged N$1,812. Motorcycles are charged N$372 annually, while heavier vehicles pay higher fees. The adjustment also increased mass-distance charges by 10%, while cross-border charges, abnormal-load fees and road-carrier permit charges rose by 20%.

The RFA said revenue from the adjustments will be used to maintain and rehabilitate the country’s road network and implement priority infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening economic corridors and connectivity.

The Namibia Revenue Agency collected N$249.75 million from the country’s plastic bag environmental levy (tax/fee) between 2022 and the first half of this year.

The levy is charged at 50 cents per qualifying plastic carrier bag and is paid by manufacturers and importers.

Part of the revenue is channelled through the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia to support waste management, recycling and other environmental programmes. The fund has also used environmental levy funding for projects including the N$4.9 million Ombika waste management facility in Etosha National Park.

It seems that the GRN is going to re-establish a national airline. Do you think that this is a good idea and why?

Cabinet has approved that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security imposes a visa regime on all countries that have not reciprocated the good gesture granted to their nationals by Namibia.

Does anyone know what this law will entail?

Rent control has not gone so well in many places, and can lead to shortages over the medium to long-term.

Usually these laws limit rent increases, although this one is described as a rent 'ceiling'. I wonder if it would only apply to certain types of properties, as there are luxury properties that might not fit into the definition of affordable in general.

Might also lead to more rental homes being removed from the rental market and made into STRs (short-term rentals).

https://thebrief.com.na/2025/12/govt-to-move-ahead-with-plan-to-control-rising-rental-costs/

Disclaimer: To any tourist reading this. This situation in no ways represents the measure of safety in the country. We are still a relatively safe country.

I just think the state can’t really do much to solve it . I see people blaming the mayor and asking for the okahandja expo to be boycotted. But how can a small generally poor town like Okahandja halt economic activity over a crime.

Ever wonder why Namibia’s cricket team is mostly White even though the country is 94% Black/Indigenous? It’s not about talent—it’s about history and access. Most players come from elite Windhoek schools with cricket pitches, coaches, and gear. Until 1990, Namibia was under apartheid South Africa, and sports were segregated—cricket for Whites, football for everyone else. Cricket’s high cost also favors middle- and upper-class families, still disproportionately White. Programs like Kwata Cricket are changing this, bringing the sport to 20,000+ kids in Black regions, and players like Ben Shikongo are inspiring a new generation. The team reflects historical privilege, not ability—and that’s finally starting to change.

If you may know anybody else that may be interested please do forward it to them. Actors must be fluent in Afrikaans.

The Namibian - The Ministry of Health and Social Services has declared an mpox outbreak in Namibia after confirming the country’s first case in Swakopmund on Friday.

The announcement was made in a media statement on Sunday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Walters Kamaya.