Ohangwena Regional Governor Kadiva Hamutumwa told councillors and officials that political differences must not obstruct service delivery, warning against leaders undermining one another and calling for urgent focus on delivering tangible services to communities.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
Ohangwena Regional Governor Kadiva Hamutumwa told councillors and officials that political differences must not obstruct service delivery, warning against leaders undermining one another and calling for urgent focus on delivering tangible services to communities.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
International Relations Minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi stated that Namibia and Germany are still negotiating a Joint Declaration and that Namibia is demanding a formal apology from Germany for the 1904/08 Ovaherero and Nama genocide. According to the minister, both governments remain committed to reaching a lasting solution on restorative justice and reparations, though negotiations over what reparations should look like are still in the conceptualisation stage.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Medical doctor Fillemon Nakanduungile admitted meeting Abner Mateus, the alleged mastermind behind the October 2025 attack on public prosecutor Justine Shiweda, but denies involvement and claims he was home at the time. He faces charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and maintains that N$200 000 he received from Mateus was a legitimate business investment for his medical practice, not a bribe.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Swapo councillor Willem Gariseb has presented a five-year strategic plan (2025–2030) for Windhoek Rural constituency centred on five pillars: infrastructure development, economic empowerment and job creation, education and skills development, health and social welfare, and governance and accountability. Key targets include rehabilitating 200km of rural roads, providing water access to 95% of households, electrifying remote communities, creating 1,000 jobs in agriculture and tourism, and improving healthcare and education access.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Tsumeb Municipality is urging all businesses, institutions, organisations and individuals to remove illegally displayed advertisements on council land or public spaces by 14 February 2026, warning that non-compliant signage will be removed without liability.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Namibia recorded stronger foreign direct investment inflows of N$6.6 billion in the third quarter of 2025, driven primarily by increased intercompany loans in the mining sector, though equity inflows from oil exploration companies declined as drilling activities eased. Net portfolio investment swung sharply to outflows of N$5.7 billion, largely due to increased investment in foreign debt securities by domestic investors.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
An analysis identifies 13 issues that could shape Namibia's investment future in 2026, including rebuilding investor confidence, streamlining regulations, reforming tax enforcement, modernizing business registration, and improving trade and digital infrastructure. The piece argues that Namibia must convert its natural resources and political stability into measurable economic performance and offer a clearer reason for foreign investors to choose it over regional competitors.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
The Ineos showroom in Windhoek has received new stock of the Ineos Grenadier FieldMaster and TrialMaster models in petrol and diesel variants, with factory-fitted features including differential locks, tow bars, and optional Safari Windows. The vehicles are designed to blend rugged off-road capability with everyday usability and have found strong demand among Namibian customers seeking purpose-built 4x4s suited to the country's terrain and lifestyle.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Electric vehicle sales in Germany rebounded strongly in 2025, rising 43.2% to over 545,000 vehicles and representing 19.1% of new car sales, with Chinese manufacturer BYD more than tripling its market share. In contrast, US automakers including General Motors, Honda, and Nissan reported declining fourth-quarter sales, with EV transactions falling sharply after a federal tax credit expired in September.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI announced it has raised US$20 billion in funding, surpassing its initial US$15 billion target, with backing from investors including Nvidia. The funding accelerates development of xAI's Grok AI models, which face international scrutiny over deepfake generation concerns.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Lenovo, the world's top PC maker, unveiled its AI assistant Qira at CES in Las Vegas, designed to perform tasks seamlessly across laptops, smartphones and connected devices. The company also showcased prototypes of AI-powered glasses and a pendant that records conversations and moments with user consent.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Standard Bank Namibia has introduced a new 2026 pricing structure effective from 1 January featuring significant reductions on everyday banking fees, free digital services, and four tailored bundled offerings for individuals and businesses. The bank states the changes are designed to increase affordability and financial inclusion, with lower EFT fees, free inter-account transfers, and simplified bundles aimed at supporting SMEs and enabling digital banking adoption across the country.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Private Sector Credit Extension eased to 4.5% year-on-year in November 2025, down from 4.7% in October, as both corporate and household borrowing softened. According to financial services firm Simonis Storm, credit growth remains well above 2023–2024 levels and is expected to stabilise around 4.5–5.0% into early 2026, with corporate credit continuing to drive growth through investment in productive assets.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Small business owners across Namibia saw improved performance during the festive season, with entrepreneurs in retail, hospitality, and services reporting increased demand and relief after a difficult 2024. Several business owners shared hopes for 2026 expansion and called for youth to pursue skills development and entrepreneurship.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Malaysia-based Yinson Production has identified Namibia as a key emerging market for offshore oil and gas development, anticipating strong global demand for floating production and storage units. The company has signed a memorandum with Petrofund to develop local content through training and scholarships, and plans to open a Namibia office in January 2026.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
Land reformist Inge Zaamwani has tabled a transformative Land Bill in Parliament that would replace the "willing buyer, willing seller" clause with state-led land redistribution, allowing the government to expropriate land in the public interest with fair compensation. The Bill consolidates 12 existing land laws, tightens foreign ownership restrictions, and introduces compulsory land acquisition to speed up transfer to historically disadvantaged and landless Namibians.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Meteorologists warn that despite recent absence of heavy rainfall, January typically brings peak flooding to northern Namibia, with water levels already rising in some areas since December and normal flooding expected. Residents are advised to remain alert, avoid crossing flooded areas, and keep away from floodwater, particularly in low-lying and densely populated regions including Ohangwena constituency.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has suspended imports of raw bran and milling by-products from Angola for use in animal feed, citing non-compliance with veterinary import requirements. The suspension, effective 5 January 2026, will remain in place until the veterinary authorities of both countries agree on revised importation procedures.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Unhealthy work cultures in Namibia contribute to mental health crises, with employers using psychological tactics like gaslighting, manipulation, and intimidation to undermine employees—a practice termed "career assassination" that can trap workers in what analysts call "Corporate Stockholm Syndrome." Psychologist Ceaseria Mutau argues organisations must adopt trauma-informed leadership and zero-tolerance policies for psychological harassment.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Post-holiday syndrome—the mental and physical exhaustion felt after returning from time off—is a real phenomenon caused by the abrupt switch from rest to responsibility that overwhelms the nervous system. The article offers practical strategies such as naming the type of tiredness, taking a buffer day, managing email overload gradually, prioritizing sleep, and building micro-rest into daily routines to help ease back into work.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Police and a diving team from Namdeb Diamond Corporation are searching for a 12-year-old girl from Rosh Pinah who was swept into the ocean at Oranjemund during a fishing trip. The girl went missing in the water on January 7, and as of midday January 8 had not been recovered.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
Medical doctor Fillemon Nakanduungile's bail application resumed in Ondangwa under a new magistrate, with the accused making significant admissions under cross-examination, including illegal border crossings to Angola and failure to keep medical records. Nakanduungile faces charges related to an October attack on State Prosecutor Justine Shiweda in which she was shot and attacked with an acidic substance, and has indicated he will plead guilty to some charges while maintaining innocence on others.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
South African authorities confirmed that a recalled batch of Nestlé NAN Special Pro HA infant formula was exported to Namibia, prompting warnings to parents to stop using the product due to potential presence of cereulide toxin. Nestlé said the recall is precautionary following detection of a quality issue in an ingredient supplied by a third-party manufacturer, and no illnesses have been reported.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
A 28-year-old betting outlet employee in Aranos is accused of defrauding his employer of more than N$62,000 by falsifying customer payment records and placing bets using company credit without payment. The Hardap Region police have not yet arrested the suspect, and the money remains unrecovered.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
An NDF member was apprehended after a man's body was found in water near Oluno Correctional facility and appeared in Ondangwa Magistrate's Court on murder and defeating-the-course-of-justice charges. The accused was remanded in custody with the case postponed to 18 June; a life assurance policy on the deceased is alleged to be the motive.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
Onamukalo villagers in Ohangwena Region rejected an application by the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Namibia (REACH-NA) to build a chapel, with village leadership stating no suitable land was available. Bishop Lukas Katenda disputes the rejection and says the church will take the matter to the Community Court, arguing that religious freedom is enshrined in the Namibian Constitution.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
Hot and windy conditions are expected to persist across Namibia, with partly cloudy skies and isolated thundershowers forecast for northern and central regions, while the south remains sunny and hot to very hot. Coastal areas will experience milder conditions with morning fog, and temperatures inland will range from the low to mid-30s to very hot 36°C in the south.
8 January 2026 · Informanté →
The Namibian Police Force has urged strict adherence to road traffic laws as the festive season ends and traffic volumes rise, citing 488 road deaths and 3,126 crashes between January and mid-December, representing a 20% increase in fatalities compared to the same period last year. The police emphasised that speeding, dangerous overtaking, and drinking and driving remain leading causes of crashes, and called on drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians to take personal responsibility for road safety.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp announced that up to 134,000 students will benefit from Namibia's new subsidised tertiary education programme in 2026, which will fully cover tuition and registration fees for eligible first-time undergraduates at public and private institutions, though families must still cover accommodation, transport and materials. The minister emphasised the programme is subsidised rather than free, is grounded in labour market evidence to address oversupply in fields like nursing and education, and will be implemented in phases with strict oversight to prevent fee increases.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Police in Oshana are investigating multiple sexual assault cases reported over the holiday period, including the rape of a 30-year-old bar worker by her ex-boyfriend, two 13-year-old girls, and a 10-year-old girl. The region also recorded a fatal assault when a 42-year-old woman was killed with an axe in Onandjo village.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Health facilities in Musese constituency are struggling with electricity outages that hamper service delivery, affecting vaccine storage, emergency care, and use of modern medical equipment. Regional authorities have outlined plans to repair backup systems and procure new generators for 2026/27, but healthcare workers and patients continue to face immediate risks.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
A 24-year-old woman died instantly on Monday night in a collision between a minibus and a sedan on the Otjiwarongo–Okahandja B1 road, about 15 kilometres south of Otjiwarongo. The minibus driver lost control and the vehicle overturned several times; one other occupant was seriously injured.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Police in the Zambezi region are investigating the murder of 24-year-old Zambian national Nyambe Muyunda, whose body was found with a throat wound in bushes behind Square Village in the Sachona area on Monday. A 44-year-old suspect with blood stains on his clothing has been arrested and faces charges of murder and defeating the course of justice.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Singer Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona, known as Makhadzi, released an inspirational song about her healing journey following a car accident on 31 December, which has already gained traction on TikTok despite not being formally released. She was discharged from hospital and plans to release the full version next Friday while focusing on recovery for 10 weeks.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Matcha, a tea that originated in 16th-century Japan, has become increasingly common in Namibian cafés as people seek gentler sources of sustained energy and health benefits. A qualified barista and nutritionist in Namibia explain its appeal: it provides steady caffeine energy without the spikes and crashes of coffee, is versatile for multiple uses, and fits varied lifestyles.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
The 33rd Quinton Steele Botes Athletics Training Camp attracted more than 100 athletes and top South African coaches, but organisers expressed disappointment at poor turnout of local coaches and high school athletes. Camp organiser Leonie van Rensburg noted that while primary school participation was strong, the low attendance of experienced coaches and older students limits knowledge transfer and long-term athlete development.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
The Weskus 4×4 Vasbyt took place on 27 December at Walvis Bay, featuring 16 teams from Namibia and South Africa competing through a technical course of obstacles in the dunes. Local driver PJ Balhao, who competes with paraplegia in a specially modified Land Rover, participated alongside competitors from across the country.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibia Tennis Association has selected a junior team to compete in the ITF/CAT Southern African Junior Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, from 8 to 13 January in under-14 and under-16 categories. The tournament serves as a regional pathway to the African Junior Championships and offers young players international ranking points and experience.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
The 2025 Nedbank Desert Classic, held at Rössmund Golf Club, saw 140 amateur golfers compete over two days, with Dan Zwiebel and 11-year-old Neil Salt claiming victory. The tournament, in its seventh year under Nedbank sponsorship, aims to develop young amateur golfing talent alongside experienced players.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Coco Gauff won her singles match and then teamed up with Christian Harrison to win the deciding mixed doubles as the defending-champion United States beat Greece to reach the United Cup semi-finals. Poland also secured their semi-final spot with wins from Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz against the Netherlands.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Joanivia Bezuidenhout, 16, started tennis at age nine and has since achieved multiple national rankings and tournament titles. She aims to secure a college tennis scholarship to pursue a professional career in the sport.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
The Quinton-Steele Botes Athletics Training and Coaching Clinic in Windhoek brings together athletes aged six and up for instruction in speed, endurance, agility and strength across multiple disciplines, with coaches from Namibia, South Africa and Germany working to refine technique and prepare participants for the upcoming athletics season.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
The 15th annual Ondjola Tournament in Iitananga village attracted participants and spectators from across northern Namibia, featuring 32 football teams, eight volleyball teams, and eight netball teams, with MPSH winning the top prize of N$30,000. The five-day event employed over 70 people and drew over 140 SMEs selling food and beverages, with organisers reporting 70–80% annual growth in participation and noting that professional Namibian league and national team players took part.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Aabid Manji and his family from Kenya are travelling overland from Kenya to Namibia in an Ineos Grenadier, the first sold on African soil, with minimal planning to allow for spontaneous meetings and experiences. During their time in Namibia, they visited Sandwich Harbour and explored various destinations, with Manji reflecting on how unstructured travel creates genuine connections.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
American content creator Darren Watkins Jr (IShowSpeed), with over 47 million YouTube subscribers, has confirmed he will visit Namibia despite a recent permit issue involving his private jet operator. The NCAA had denied landing approval due to insufficient notice and incomplete documentation, but Speed says he will visit every country on his tour itinerary, now using commercial flights after rescheduling.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he is not worried about speculation of a US invasion, adding that differences with any country should be resolved through discussion and negotiation. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation separately condemned recent US military action in Venezuela as a violation of the UN Charter.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Fourteen South Africans detained in Thailand are being deported after being recruited for information technology jobs that did not materialise as promised. The detainees reported being prevented from communicating outside Thailand and held in poor conditions, with South African authorities providing consular support and warning jobseekers to vet recruiters and contracts carefully.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Burkina Faso's military government says it has thwarted a plot to assassinate leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, allegedly orchestrated by former military ruler Lieutenant Colonel Paul Damiba with funding from Ivory Coast. The security minister said intelligence services intercepted the operation in its final hours and have made arrests.
8 January 2026 · The Namibian →
China's commerce ministry announced an anti-dumping investigation into Japanese imports of dichlorosilane, a chemical used in semiconductor manufacturing, citing a 31% price decrease from 2022 to 2024. The move follows China's ban on exports to Japan of dual-use goods with potential military uses, escalating tensions between the nations over Taiwan and potentially threatening Japan's critical supplies of rare earth minerals from China.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
Snow, ice, and high winds brought transport chaos across Europe for a third consecutive day, with hundreds of flights cancelled and major airports like Paris and Amsterdam severely disrupted. Six people died in weather-related incidents as a bitter cold snap affected the continent, with schools and public services shutting down across multiple countries including France, Britain, Belgium, and Scandinavia.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
The UN rights office released a report stating that decades of systematic discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank have drastically deteriorated, with UN rights chief Volker Turk calling it "a particularly severe form of racial discrimination and segregation, that resembles the kind of apartheid system we have seen before." The report documents unequal treatment of Israeli settlers and Palestinians, large-scale land confiscation, settler violence often supported by Israeli security forces, and widespread impunity for unlawful killings.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's high suicide rate is rooted in interconnected challenges—chiefly financial pressure, unemployment, poverty, and relationship breakdown—and calls for spiritual education, financial support, trained mental health professionals, and public awareness campaigns to address the crisis.
8 January 2026 · New Era →
According to a New Era opinion piece, Namibian organisations should shift from viewing IT as a cost centre to embracing it as critical for business survival and growth. The article argues that 2026 must bring strategic focus on data governance, cyber resilience, hybrid cloud infrastructure, and leveraging local technological expertise to remain competitive in an AI-driven landscape.
8 January 2026 · New Era →