Monika Amunyela Award-winning singer and songwriter TopCheri has added yet another milestone to her career after winning ‘Best Star Artist Southern Africa of the Year’ at the Shining Star Africa Awards that took place in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday. …
TopCheri shines in Kigali … scoops Best Star Artist Southern Africa of the Year awardNamibia Minute.
Monday, 11 May 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Monday, 11 May 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Place
Rwanda
Also known as: Rwandan · neighbouring Rwanda
In coverage
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
- March 2026
- February 2026
… Representatives came from countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. …
NTB, SAA join hands to boost African travel… The Kavimvira post on Lake Tanganyika, which is vital for the region’s economy, was closed in December as the Rwanda-backed M23 launched a new drive for territory in eastern DR Congo. …
DRC-Burundi border reopens – sourcesRwanda’s post-conflict model of unity, zero tolerance for corruption and technology-driven security governance offers concrete lessons. …
Namibia benchmarks from Rwanda… On the summit margins, the President also received the Special Envoy of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Rt. …
President Nandi-Ndaitwah advances partnerships on trade, health, climate, and water at AU Summit… In Africa, Namibia ranks as the sixth least corrupt country by perceived corruption (joint sixth with Senegal), behind Seychelles, Cape Verde, Botswana, Rwanda and Mauritius. …
Namibia posts worst performance in corruption perceptions for 2025 as confidence in fighting corruption at all-time low… The trend has spread to other African countries and has become so pervasive that it has drawn the concern of central banks in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana and Namibia. …
Kenyans drop flowers for Valentine's bouquets of cash… Countries such as Rwanda started using it in 2011 and have reduced cervical cancer,” Mufenda says. …
Cervical cancer vaccine safe amid conspiracy theories – health officials… The announcement came a day after a meeting in Doha between representatives of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group and envoys from Kinshasa. …
UN mission due in DRC to help ceasefireLydia Pitiri KIGALI – The Dr Hage Geingob Fellows was launched through the Inter-Generational Leadership Accelerator (ILA) programme during the inauguration of the Leadership Lab Yetu in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday. …
Geingob honoured in Kigali
Politics
Swapo's gender quota shifts women's political attitudes in Namibia
The News
A study of Namibia's Swapo party quota policy, which alternated men and women on parliamentary candidate lists from 2013, found that women's representation in the National Assembly rose from 21% to 41% in the 2014 election. Women in Swapo strongholds subsequently became significantly more supportive of women's political leadership, while men showed no backlash, suggesting exposure to women leaders can reshape attitudes about gender and political capacity.
22 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 22 April
Swapo's gender quota shifts women's political attitudes in Namibia
A study of Namibia's Swapo party quota policy, which alternated men and women on parliamentary candidate lists from 2013, found that women's representation in the National Assembly rose from 21% to 41% in the 2014 election. Women in Swapo strongholds subsequently became significantly more supportive of women's political leadership, while men showed no backlash, suggesting exposure to women leaders can reshape attitudes about gender and political capacity.
22 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 14 April
MTC's 2026 Marketing Indaba budget rises to N$4.6 million
Mobile Telecommunications Limited increased spending on its second annual Branding and Marketing Indaba to N$4.6 million, up from N$4.4–4.5 million the previous year, primarily due to the introduction of Excellence Awards with N$20,000 prizes per category and an increase in delegates from 300 to 400.
14 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 7 April
DRC accepts US deportees in new migration agreement
The Democratic Republic of Congo has agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States who are not Congolese nationals, effective this month, with the US providing logistical and technical support. The DRC joins other African countries including Eswatini, Ghana and South Sudan in receiving third-country deportees as part of the Trump administration's hardline immigration policy.
7 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 1 April
Communal farmers associations key to rural prosperity, governance improvements needed
Communal farmers associations in Namibia remain underutilised despite their potential to drive employment, food security, and rural development. The article argues that independent auditing, trained administration, market partnerships, revenue diversification, and leveraging the resettlement programme are essential to transform these organisations from subsistence-level operations into engines of rural prosperity.
1 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Friday 27 March
DRC journalists face rising violence, detention under M23
Reporters Without Borders reports that journalists in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have experienced increasing violence and pressure since M23's capture of Goma in January 2025, including detention, forced ideological training, and censorship of local media. The government and M23 both target journalists, and around 90 reporters fled the conflict zones between 2023 and early 2025.
27 March 2026 · New Era →
Wednesday 25 March
MTC Marketing Indaba returns to Windhoek April 8–10
The second annual MTC Branding and Marketing Indaba will bring African marketing and communications professionals to Windhoek in April under the theme "Marketing From the Heart," featuring keynote speakers, panel discussions and networking focused on authentic storytelling, nation branding, and digital communication strategies.
25 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Brave Warriors arrive in Kazakhstan for FIFA Series
Namibia's national men's football team has arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the 2026 FIFA Series. The squad will face Kazakhstan tomorrow and Comoros on Saturday at the Astana Arena, bolstered by the arrival of three foreign-based players.
25 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 19 March
Britain and Rwanda clash at court over scrapped migrant deal
Rwanda is seeking over £100 million from Britain at an international arbitration court in The Hague, claiming unpaid amounts and costs from a 2022 migrant deportation agreement that Britain abandoned in 2024, calling it a waste of taxpayers' money. Britain disputes Rwanda's claims, arguing they are motivated by retaliation for London's suspension of aid over Rwanda's alleged support for M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
19 March 2026 · New Era →
Monday 16 March
PDM MP criticises 2026/2027 budget for neglecting service delivery
PDM Member of Parliament Diederik Vries has criticised the 2026/2027 national budget for failing to address service delivery, saying high operational costs and debt servicing hinder economic development and capital project funding. Vries pointed to persistent youth unemployment, housing shortages, weak growth, and insufficient agricultural funding, arguing that despite allocating 61.7% to the social sector, the system is not delivering productivity and inclusive growth.
16 March 2026 · New Era →
Monday 9 March
TopCheri wins southern Africa artist award in Rwanda
Namibian musician Monica Pineas, known as TopCheri, has been named the best star artist for southern Africa (2025/2026) at the Shining Stars Africa Awards ceremony in Kigali. The award recognises her work including her final album 'I Am Monika', and adds to her growing list of achievements as she continues to represent Namibia on continental platforms.
9 March 2026 · The Namibian →
TopCheri wins Best Star Artist award in Kigali
Namibian singer TopCheri won 'Best Star Artist Southern Africa of the Year' at the Shining Star Africa Awards in Kigali, Rwanda, and performed tracks from her latest album 'I am Monika'. She expressed gratitude for the recognition and clarified that while stepping back from full-length albums, she will continue releasing singles and performing.
9 March 2026 · New Era →
Wednesday 25 February
NTB and SAA launch joint African travel promotion initiative
The Namibia Tourism Board and South African Airways partnered to promote intra-African travel and position Namibia as a regional destination. The partnership brought together travel operators from 15 African countries for networking and package development, with focus on growing Namibia's meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector.
25 February 2026 · New Era →
Tuesday 24 February
DRC-Burundi border crossing reopens after M23 offensive
The Kavimvira border post on Lake Tanganyika between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi reopened after more than two months of closure during a Rwanda-backed M23 armed group offensive in eastern DRC. The reopening came after the M23 withdrew from the city of Uvira in January, allowing the DR Congo army to regain control of the strategically important frontier crossing.
24 February 2026 · New Era →
Thursday 19 February
Namibian MPs study Rwanda's governance and security practices
A parliamentary delegation led by James Uerikua visited Rwanda to exchange best practices on international relations, defence and security. The MPs identified Rwanda's anti-corruption measures, technology-driven governance, security sector professionalism and public accountability mechanisms as models Namibia could realistically adopt to strengthen oversight and service delivery.
19 February 2026 · New Era →
Tuesday 17 February
President meets AU Summit partners on trade, health, climate
During the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah held bilateral meetings with international partners to advance Namibia's priorities in trade and investment, HIV response and health sovereignty, climate finance and resilience, and water governance. The engagements included meetings with representatives from the United States, Arab development bank, UNAIDS, the Green Climate Fund, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and the UN.
17 February 2026 · Informanté →
Sunday 15 February
Namibia's corruption perceptions hit worst level since 2012 index
Namibia recorded its worst corruption perceptions index score on record in 2025 at 46/100, dropping three points and falling six places globally to 65th. An Afrobarometer survey conducted in 2024 found that over half of Namibians believe corruption has increased significantly, and confidence in government anti-corruption efforts is at its lowest level since 1999.
15 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Cash bouquets trend draws central bank warnings across Africa
A Valentine's Day trend of gifting money folded into bouquet designs has spread across Kenya and other African countries, prompting central banks including Namibia's to warn against damaging banknotes, as glued or defaced currency must be withdrawn from circulation at taxpayer cost.
15 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Friday 6 February
HPV vaccine safe, health officials address conspiracy concerns
Namibian health officials say the human papillomavirus vaccine, introduced in August 2025 and now part of routine immunisation, is safe and effective at preventing cervical cancer, dismissing misinformation circulating among parents about claims that it causes sterility or targets Africans. Officials note that cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in Namibia and can be prevented through vaccination and screening.
6 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 5 February
UN mission to help enforce DRC ceasefire despite repeated breaches
Qatar announced that the UN will deploy a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo's east to help enforce a ceasefire between the Kinshasa government and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group. The move follows a meeting in Doha where both sides agreed to establish a monitoring mechanism, though previous ceasefire agreements signed in July and December have failed to end the conflict.
5 February 2026 · New Era →
Monday 2 February
Dr Hage Geingob Fellows programme launched in Kigali
The Dr Hage Geingob Fellows was launched through the Inter-Generational Leadership Accelerator programme during the inauguration of the Leadership Lab Yetu in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday. The initiative, honouring the legacy of the late former president, includes Cabinet ministers, mayors and civil society leaders from across Africa and establishes Yetu as a Pan-African hub to bridge gaps between emerging and established leaders.
2 February 2026 · New Era →
Sunday 1 February
Africa must develop leaders internally, not abroad—Geingos
Former first lady Monica Geingos, speaking at the Leadership Lab Yetu launch in Rwanda, urged African leadership programmes to stop sending talent outside the continent, warning that reliance on external donors and venues threatens sustainability and development. She called for stronger institutional systems to absorb and deploy emerging leaders, particularly from marginalised groups, and emphasised that Africa has leaders but lacks effective structures to nurture and deploy them.
1 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Friday 30 January
Namibian cyclist Coetzee competes in Rwanda ultra-endurance race
Endurance rider Drikus Coetzee is set to compete in the Race Around Rwanda, a 1,000-kilometre self-supported ultra-endurance bikepacking event featuring elite cyclists from across the globe. Coetzee says his preparation has been good and he is aiming for his first international ultra-endurance victory, with fellow Namibians Nabil Robiati and Pierre Lambert also competing.
30 January 2026 · New Era →
Tuesday 27 January
Coetzee and Janse van Vuuren win WPP3 cycling race
Drikus Coetzee claimed top honours in the elite men's race at the Nedbank Namibia Windhoek Power Pedal 3 event on Sunday, finishing in 02:38:13 after 120km, while Delsia Janse van Vuuren won the women's elite race in 02:35:21. Over 170 cyclists participated in the third round of the six-part road cycling series.
27 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 22 January
Rare mountain gorilla twins born in DRC offer conservation hope
Twin male mountain gorillas were born in Virunga National Park in the DRC in January to mother Mafuko, marking a rare event for the critically endangered subspecies. The births represent another milestone in the species' recovery from near-extinction in the 1970s, when fewer than 250 remained; populations have since climbed above 1,000, though the infants face significant early survival challenges.
22 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 21 January
Namibia must harness digital marketing to attract investment
An opinion piece argues that Namibia has natural resources, stable governance and skilled workforce but lacks coordinated digital marketing and storytelling compared to regional peers. The author calls for citizen-led content creation, institutional action from tourism and investment boards, and a focus on African markets first to boost visibility and investment.
21 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Monday 19 January
YouTuber IShowSpeed tours 20 African nations with livestreamed content
Popular content creator Darren Watkins Jr., known as IShowSpeed and boasting 48 million YouTube subscribers, is undertaking a "Speed Does Africa" tour across 20 African countries over 28 days, livestreaming his interactions with fans, local culture, sports, and daily life. The high-energy tour has attracted large crowds of young fans, though some critics on social media have dismissed it as a superficial spectacle that primarily benefits the entertainer himself.
19 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 14 January
Opinion: Non-consensual video recording violates Namibian rights
An opinion piece argues that recording people without consent in public spaces for social media entertainment violates the Namibian Constitution's protections of human dignity and privacy. The author notes that victims can report such violations to police under laws including the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, and calls for citizens to respect others' rights and reject the pursuit of online fame at others' expense.
14 January 2026 · New Era →
Friday 9 January
Namibian youth educated but jobless due to systemic skills mismatch
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's 36.9% unemployment rate stems not from lack of education but from a structural mismatch between classroom learning and labour-market demands. The author proposes adopting international models including apprenticeships, labour-market intelligence units, and digital work hubs to bridge the gap between qualification and employment.
9 January 2026 · New Era →