Namibia participated for the first time in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook in June 2025, showing strengths in price competitiveness and macroeconomic resilience but facing challenges in digital infrastructure, skills development and export performance. The authors argue that boosting competitiveness requires finalising key legislation, improving education-to-labour-market alignment, economic diversification and talent attraction strategies.
Namibia participated for the first time in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook in June 2025, showing strengths in price competitiveness and macroeconomic resilience but facing challenges in digital infrastructure, skills development and export performance. The authors argue that boosting competitiveness requires finalising key legislation, improving education-to-labour-market alignment, economic diversification and talent attraction strategies.
The Business and Intellectual Property Authority has appointed Ainna Kaundu as chief executive effective January for five years. Kaundu, a legal practitioner with 18 years of experience, previously served as executive of intellectual property services and acting chief executive at Bipa.
Banking and telecommunications stocks led gains on the Namibia Securities Exchange in 2025, with Standard Bank Holdings, Capricorn Group, and FirstRand Namibia recording the highest price returns, although overall trading activity remained subdued as the second-lowest year for local value traded since 2012.
The Lewis Group has taken its challenge against Pepkor's proposed takeover of Shoprite's furniture assets to South Africa's Constitutional Court, arguing the R3.2 billion deal would create market dominance and harm consumers through higher prices and worse credit terms. Pepkor contends Lewis lacks standing to intervene and that the challenge would discourage investors.
The Erongo Desalination Plant delivered 17.59 million cubic metres of water to the Erongo Region in 2025, a 14% increase from 2024, while integrating solar power from Trekkopje Solar Plant to reduce costs and lower water prices by 2%.
Namibian universities are producing graduates faster than the job market can absorb them, yet many lack practical skills to complement their theoretical knowledge. The solution is for higher education institutions to integrate skills training alongside academic programmes, rather than maintaining the separation between academic and vocational education.
Namibia's paper-based health system leaves patient medical histories isolated between facilities and sectors, creating dangerous gaps in care. A unified digital health records system linked to national ID numbers could ensure doctors have access to critical patient information regardless of location.
Namibia's transformation of vocational training centres into specialised TVET colleges presents an opportunity to embed artificial intelligence into education and skills development. However, successful integration requires deliberate policy, investment in digital infrastructure, instructor upskilling, and ethical frameworks to avoid deepening inequalities between urban and rural institutions.
Namibia's education ministry dismissed claims that Grade 9 learners can progress through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training system to obtain doctoral degrees, describing the assertion as misleading. The ministry clarified that Cabinet has not approved any pathway allowing direct progression from Grade 9 to university-level qualifications, and that current entry to TVET requires NSSCO (Grade 11) or Grade 12 qualifications.
Oshana Region's Acting Police Commander Frederick Ndjadila has warned bus travelers to beware of thieves disguised as travelers at crowded bus loading zones, while also appealing to bus operators to adhere to traffic rules and avoid overloading, overpricing, and overspeeding during the post-festive season travel rush.
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested for fatally stabbing a 26-year-old woman, Nacky Macthanisia Dalime Menatzick, and her three-year-old daughter in Epako, Omaheke Region. According to police, a commotion erupted between the suspect and the woman inside a house; the woman pushed her six-year-old son through a window to seek help, and the boy ran to police, who found the mother and younger sister fatally wounded at the scene.
The Namibia Meteorological Service forecasts hot to very hot conditions across most of the country with partly cloudy skies and isolated thundershowers over the northern and central-eastern interior, while the coast will remain mild with fog patches. Very hot conditions with maximum temperatures reaching 37°C are expected in the south and parts of the west, while coastal areas will experience much milder conditions around 23–27°C.
Thimbukushu women along the Kavango River maintain the tradition of playing the Ngoma, a traditional drum that comes in different forms for rituals, dances and celebrations, learning the skill through observation and practice. While some experts worry younger generations may not understand its significance as interest shifts toward piano and other instruments, the women assert that drumming remains deeply rooted in their culture and continues to echo through the Kavango East region.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts has acknowledged public complaints about service delivery and facility conditions at Etosha National Park, citing festive season visitor concerns raised on social media and reports of waste management failures. The company says it is implementing unannounced quality audits, phased maintenance upgrades prioritizing high-impact areas, and enhanced staff training through a partnership with NUST to improve guest experience.
Doctors at hospitals in Tehran and Shiraz told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries as anti-government protests entered their second week, with at least 50 protesters reported killed. Iranian authorities issued coordinated warnings to protesters, while international leaders and US President Trump called for protection of the right to peaceful protest.
The U.S. Embassy in Namibia has clarified that Namibian students travelling on F or M visas, as well as those on J visas for U.S. government-sponsored exchanges, are not subject to the new visa bond pilot programme. The bond, of up to US$15,000, applies only to those applying for B-1/B-2 business and tourist visas and is refundable if visa terms are met.