Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Organization

Development Bank of Namibia

Also known as: DBN

Development Bank of Namibia — state development finance institution approving loans and managing infrastructure projects, currently managing balance sheet cleanup and shifting toward climate financing.

Society

Government launches expanded youth skills and funding programmes

The News

President Nandi-Ndaitwah announced expanded government programmes to address youth unemployment through training, skills development, and funding. The initiatives include mushroom cultivation and biomass training, the Youth Credit Scheme, and the Youth Development Fund, which has approved 211 projects worth N$63.1 million with potential to create 898 jobs.

15 April 2026 · New Era

Wednesday 15 April

  1. Government launches expanded youth skills and funding programmes

    President Nandi-Ndaitwah announced expanded government programmes to address youth unemployment through training, skills development, and funding. The initiatives include mushroom cultivation and biomass training, the Youth Credit Scheme, and the Youth Development Fund, which has approved 211 projects worth N$63.1 million with potential to create 898 jobs.

    15 April 2026 · New Era

Thursday 9 April

  1. RCC seeks N$500 million loan for stadiums in 14 regions

    The state-owned Roads Contractor Company has requested a N$500 million loan from the Development Bank of Namibia to build sport stadiums across 14 regions without a public tender process. The project, part of the president's infrastructure pledge to all 121 constituencies, has raised concerns about unclear costs, lack of transparency, and potential involvement of foreign contractors despite a directive limiting subcontracting to local small and medium enterprises.

    9 April 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 8 April

  1. Sport ministry denies involvement in RCC's N$500m stadium loan request

    The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture said it had not appointed the Roads Contractor Company to source funding from the Development Bank of Namibia for sport stadiums, nor was it aware of or party to any loan application by the RCC. The ministry said it remains the custodian of sport infrastructure development and is implementing its national programme with N$5 million per facility as part of phase 1 of a long-term, phased approach.

    8 April 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 7 April

  1. DBN funds N$1bn health infrastructure programme nationwide

    The Development Bank of Namibia has disbursed N$1 billion towards a national health infrastructure programme, part of the government's "Roadmap" initiative. The funding will support construction of a 500-bed Windhoek District Hospital and district hospitals in Nkurenkuru, Otjiwarongo, and Ondangwa to address bed shortages and improve healthcare access.

    7 April 2026 · New Era

Sunday 5 April

  1. DBN funds N$1 billion Windhoek District Hospital construction

    The Development Bank of Namibia has allocated N$1 billion for construction of a 500-bed Windhoek District Hospital in Havana to address bed shortages and ease pressure on existing facilities in the Khomas region. The project is part of the government's healthcare infrastructure development plan and is expected to stimulate economic activity through construction and job creation, though land clearing remains pending before work commences.

    5 April 2026 · The Namibian

  2. Postfin CEO Robert Eiman appointed Agribank leader

    Robert Eiman, chief executive of Nampost Financial Brokers, has been appointed as the new chief executive of Agribank effective 1 July, succeeding Raphael Karuaihe who retired in March.

    5 April 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 26 March

  1. DBN launches new financing product for women entrepreneurs

    The Development Bank of Namibia has launched "DBN for Her," a financing initiative designed to increase access to credit for women-owned businesses. The product offers loans at prime interest rate with a 12-month grace period and credit guarantee scheme to address the documented funding gap, with women having received only about 14% of DBN's total funding to date.

    26 March 2026 · New Era

  2. DBN approves N$22.74bn in loans since 2007

    The Development Bank of Namibia has approved N$22.74 billion in loans since 2007, with only N$1.87 billion (14.3% of private sector funding) directed to women-owned enterprises. The bank launched the 'DBN for Her' programme and noted that women's share of approvals has declined to 5% in the current financial year, down from a peak of 22.6% in 2016/17.

    26 March 2026 · The Namibian

  3. DBN launches N$400 million financing platform for women entrepreneurs

    The Development Bank of Namibia has launched DBN For Her, a women-focused financing initiative backed by N$400 million from the African Development Bank, offering loans ranging from N$150,000 to N$10 million to women-owned businesses employing between five and 300 people.

    26 March 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 20 March

  1. Swakopmund golf course sold at auction for N$41 million

    Rossmund Golf Course was sold for N$41 million at a judicial auction, with businessman Bokkie Thorburn as the winning bidder. The sale followed a default judgment obtained by the Development Bank of Namibia against the golf course operator for N$19.9 million plus interest.

    20 March 2026 · The Namibian

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