ThinkProgress

My views and mine only, they do not represent the company I work for or with.

[Julius David @GlobalNomad2030]

Pick n Pay just lost an entire country. The partner that ran its 19 Namibian stores for 27 years just walked.

On 1 July 2025 Ohlthaver & List ended the franchise and rebranded every store to Model, its own name since 1965.

The parent is bleeding and selling down Boxer. O&L had N$6.5bn from the Heineken deal. A franchise is a rental, and they owned everything but the name.

#PicknPay #Namibia #Retail #GlobalArbitrage #Model

[Julius David @GlobalNomad2030]

Air Namibia: 30 years, almost never a profit, every loss covered by the taxpayer. 636 jobs gone in 2021.

Now Namibia Air, with gazetted fares of N$1,327 to Ondangwa where the minister cited over N$9,000.

So who funds this one, and what for?

#Namibia #NamibiaAir #AirNamibia #GlobalArbitrage #AfricanMarkets

[Julius David @GlobalNomad2030]

Botswana is weakening the pula on purpose.

Diamond money built the reserves. It is drying up. Import cover fell from over 10 months to about 5 by early 2025, and the crawl rate nearly doubled to about 2.8% a year.

#Botswana #Pula #Diamonds #AfricanMarkets #GlobalArbitrage

[Julius David @GlobalNomad2030]

In Namibia, your home loan rate is really set in Pretoria. N$ has been pegged 1:1 to the rand since 1993. Oil from ~2029 could change that, the way diamonds let Botswana leave the rand. Time for Namibia to have this conversation, or still too early?

#Namibia #Oil #RandPeg #AfricanMarkets #Botswana

[Julius David @GlobalNomad2030]

In Namibia, losing a government tender doesn't mean losing the contract. You just keep appealing.

The Procurement Act bars any award while a dispute is live, so the incumbent appeals for as long as the extension pays more than the lawyers.

[Namibian Sun @namibiansun]

WATCH: Prime Minister Dr. Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare has announced that all government procurement units have been directed to prioritise sourcing furniture locally for state institutions.
Ngurare said the policy is intended to support Namibian businesses, create jobs, and channel government spending into regional and local economies where the furniture is manufactured.
He said the move is expected to stimulate economic growth, strengthen domestic industries, and ensure that public procurement delivers tangible benefits to Namibian enterprises and workers.

Video: OPM

[Elvis Mboya @elvis_mboya1]

THE COST OF DEPENDING ON SA

Namibia's greatest economic risk is not lack of resources. It's overdependence on one country. Food,banking, retail, logistics& currency should never be tied so heavily to a single economy &a former colonizer.Diversification is national security 1/8

[Toys Ndjebela @toys_ndjebela]

This week in particular might vindicate this view. Namibian trucks are reluctant to go to SA amid all the anti-foreigner tensions that are going on.

But this is a collective indictment on the SADC economy itself. The fact that we can’t simply change routes and import the same goods from Zambia, Zimbabwe or Angola says a lot about the region. What if tensions in SA persist? Would we return to the bush when nature calls because no toilet papers were imported for three weeks?

[Blacksheep @nakablackksheep]

Are you a young Namibian interested in owning a Chakula meat franchise in your region?
We are exploring a youth franchise programme to supply affordable protein products to communities.
Interested youth can contact us for more info. [email protected]
#Chakula #YouthEmpowerment

[ThinkProgress @MHafeni]

So many businesses will be closing down this year. Next year it will even be worse. That's how bad things are in Namibia at the moment.

[ThinkProgress @MHafeni]

Let him just score a hatrick. No need for all those.

[Stunner @invertCucurella]

🚨 For Cristiano Ronaldo to equal Messi's achievements, He needs:

• 1 World Cup
• 3 Ballon D'or Award
• 2 French League titles and
• 1 Human Hormone.

🚨 But For Lionel Messi to equal Ronaldo's achievements, He needs:

• 3 Premier League titles
• 2 Champions League titles
• 1 Puskas Award
• 2 FA Cup
• 2 English Super Cup
• 2 Italian League titles
• 2 Italian Cup
• 1 Club World Cup
• 6 Globe Soccer Award
• 1 UCL All Time scorer Award
• 1 Diamond YouTube play button.

Any disrespect to Cristiano Ronaldo from all Messi fans will not be tolerated anymore... 🤔

[Anish Moonka @anishmoonka]

Fox paid $485 million for the rights to broadcast this World Cup. The New York Times put the fair market value at $1 to $1.5 billion. The hydration break is how Fox gets its money's worth.

FIFA announced mandatory 3-minute pauses midway through each half of all 104 World Cup 2026 matches, not just hot ones. That includes games inside climate-controlled domed stadiums with roofs. The announcement came at a World Broadcaster Meeting in Washington DC. FIFA said the decision was made after consultation with coaches and broadcasters.

A few months later, FIFA gave broadcasters the green light to sell ads during the pauses. Fox gets 2 minutes and 10 seconds per break, starting 20 seconds after the whistle and ending 30 seconds before play resumes. Across all 104 games, that's 832 potential ad slots that didn't exist in soccer before this tournament. Fox and Telemundo project a combined $850 million in ad revenue from the 2026 World Cup.

The player welfare argument is also real. Argentina's Enzo Fernandez said he felt "dizzy" in "very dangerous" temperatures during last summer's Club World Cup in the US, where some games approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. FIFA had reason to act. But it applied those breaks to every match regardless of conditions, and opened a commercial window that makes this World Cup more ad-friendly than any before it.

Fox proved the point on day one. In the opener between Mexico and South Africa, Fox missed the 30-second return window FIFA mandated. The ball was already in play when the network came back from commercials.

Coca-Cola, a top-tier global FIFA partner for decades, runs the hydration stations on the field. That same 3-minute pause serves three commercial interests at once: the field sponsor, Fox's ad revenue, and Fox's streaming subscribers.

The 2030 World Cup goes to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The 2034 tournament lands in Saudi Arabia. Both regions see extreme summer heat. FIFA has not confirmed whether the pauses will outlast this summer's tournament. But $850 million in new advertising inventory tends to answer that question on its own.

[Narendra Modi @narendramodi]

I welcome the understanding reached between the United States and Iran on ending the conflict in West Asia, which has caused serious economic disruption across the world and led to loss of life in many countries.

India hopes that the implementation of this understanding will help restore peace and stability in the region and ensure the freedom of navigation and commerce.

We look forward to deliberations on the remaining issues reaching a sustainable final agreement.

[Trophy Boyfriend @Khaze10]

Greetings to all Namibian Goverment Employees, the Unions, and the Government of The Republic of Namibia (GRN)

Subject: The GRN Employee Housing Scheme (GRN Subsidy): Is It Truly Beneficial to the Employee and Sustainable to the GRN?

I trust all is well with you.

In reference to the interview between the Rt Hon Prime Minister and Nampa on Friday, it was noted that the GRN subsidizes housing for its employees by 66%. If the maximum value of the house is N$792,000.00, the GRN pays N$522,720.00, and the employee pays N$269,280.00 over a purchase period of roughly 20 years (240 months). This scheme has proven to be costly and unsustainable for the GRN.

This issue also stems from the relationship between our financial institutions, particularly the commercial banks, and the GRN. Let's consider the following scenario:

I, (GRN employee), qualify for a housing subsidy of N$690,000.00. The GRN (Employer)will cover N$455,400.00 (66%), and I will cover the remaining N$234,600.00 (34%). When I apply for a loan against my housing subsidy with my bank (Middleman), Bank Windhoek, charges an 11.5% interest rate compounded annually for 20 years (240 months). This translates into the following over this period:

1. Monthly mortgage payment:N$7,358.36
2. Interest paid over the lifetime of the loan: N$1,076,007.47
3. Total repayments over the lifetime of the loan: N$1,766,007.47

It's important to note that, in actual terms, we cannot say the GRN contributes 66% of this amount, because the subsidy is taxed and the employee ends up contributing more to cover the difference. Keep this in mind!

Let's break this down. For a monthly payment of N$7,358.36, the GRN contributes (66%) N$4,856.52, and I, the GRN employee, contribute (34%) N$2,501.84.
Here lies the problem. If I take my monthly contribution of N$2,501.84 and multiply it by 240, it totals N$600,441.60. This amount, which goes straight to the bank, is almost equal to the principal amount of N$690,000.00, translating to approximately 87%.
Now, if we consider the GRN's contribution of N$4,856.52 x 240, it totals N$1,165,564.80.
This means N$1,165,564.80 goes straight to the bank from the GRN, and it mostly excludes the principal, as I would have almost covered it (+/- 87%) with my contributions. To make matters worse, this amount is almost double the principal amount. In summary, the bank receives the principal back from my contributions and gains double this amount extra from the GRN.
Hence, from a loan of N$690,000.00, the bank ends up receiving a total of N$1,766,007.47, which is almost triple the principal amount, translating to 2.6% times the initial value.

Questions to Ponder around:

1. Is this sustainable for the GRN?
2. What is the benefit for the GRN employee in the above scenario, as he/she would have almost covered the principal amount over 240 months?
3. Is the government's contribution only designed to cover the bank's interest over the purchase period?
4. Is there a better way to address this issue, or can we come up with sustainable alternatives to consider?
5. Should we perhaps eliminate the involvement of commercial banks (Middleman) and deal directly with the employee, or improve First Capital to address this issue?
6. Why is the housing subsidy taxed?
7. Is this a subsidy or loan Loan from the Employer to the Employee?
8. How much does the Employer collects in this transaction as dividends from the Employee through the Middleman?

Article by:
MR Taljaard Uaputauka
085 532 5324
TEACHER, GOBABIS Project School

[ThinkProgress @MHafeni]

@gwaShuuya_4th CRAN is supposed to come after them, just the same way they come after businesses that owe them tax. Consumer protection doesn't exist in Namibia. Classic example; Telecom

[ThinkProgress @MHafeni]

Hier kom kak ..

[The Namibian @TheNamibian]

The Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) has announced that it will discontinue the free SMS benefit currently offered to customers when they recharge airtime.
https://t.co/MDyqT2qoTW

[Kayilula @MekondjoKondja]

This English, Hon. Prime Minister may help explain the repayment period @ngurare The reason for our skyrocketing Property Prices are in the tweets I tagged hereunder. 👇🏾

[Kayilula @MekondjoKondja]

@namibiansun @LammBoz https://t.co/AA6K989UOe

[Kayilula @MekondjoKondja]

Yes. Affordability does stop people, but Banks are just selling you the property at a repayment (sum) based on future projections of what the value will be by the time (20, 15, 5 years later) you make your last payment, because that is the point when you've actually bought the property.

If it's a depreciating asset, by the time you finish paying it, it's worth way less than the price of those years ago, therefore they charge only the price + the cost (interest) of having their outstanding money (loan).

(Interest in layman's terms is birthed from the principle that there is a foregone opportunity to make money elsewhere with my money that you have, so you may as well be that opportunity.)

If it's an appreciating asset, by the time you finish paying it off, it's worth way more than the price of 20, 15, 5 years ago, therefore they make sure you buy the property at today's price, not at the price of 20, 15, 5 years ago.

We need to understand that we don't buy the property at the first installment, but the last. Then you get to realize the price you're paying is what that property is worth at that point when you settle the last $.

If you're buying cash, you pay N$800k right now as that is what it's worth right now. If you're going to finish your payment in 2046, that's the point you'll buy the house, so you'll pay around N$1.8 million - the projected value that property will be by that time.

You'll see that when you pay cash, you only pay the price at that point. When you pay in a short period, say 10 or 5 years, the repayment sum is also less than the one for 20 years. You'll get why if you compare how much a property was worth in 2020, 2015, 2010 and 2005.

Those who bought properties in 2005, 2006 would tell you the properties they are paying off this year, that are worth, say around N$1.8 million today were worth around 500k in 2006.

The question is, should I (Bank or Markus) leave you (Shikongo) with a property worth N$1.8 million that you're only finishing to pay off now (buying only now), and I must benefit only N$500k?

That's the whole meaning of Appreciating and Depreciating Asset.

We should interrogate the Affordability of properties as it goes back to that. If we question the payment period, we may as well include the repayment period of furniture, TVs and phones (2 years, 1 year, 6 months) in the conversation and ask why we aren't allowed to pay off houses and cars in 12 months if we can pay off beds in such a period.

[Namibian Sun @namibiansun]

“In Namibia we celebrate failures of [other] people…”

It’s David Namalenga Sunday tonight on The Agenda. Watch the Dinapama Manufacturing & Supplies managing director at 20:00 on NTV (Dstv channel 285, GOtv channel 25) or at 19:00 on the Network Media Hub YouTube channel.

#TheAgenda
#NTV