Friday, 21 August 2026

Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Friday, 21 August 2026

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Namibian press · Organization

Simonis Storm Securities

Also known as: Simonis Storm Securities (Pty) Limited

Simonis Storm Securities — financial analysis and equity research firm providing economic forecasts and market commentary on Namibian equities and macroeconomic conditions.

2023-10-252026-08-21

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

May 2024
13 MayThe Namibian
Simonis Storm Securities discovered an ex-employee fraudulently sold or transferred shares worth close to N$9 million belonging to clients
Source
“The stockbroking firm Simonis Storm Securities says it has discovered that an ex-employee of the firm has fraudulently sold or transferred ownership of shares worth close to N$9 million belonging to Simonis Storm clients.”
Stockbroking firm Simonis Storm alleges theft of shares worth N$9m

Business

Namibia develops rail corridors to strengthen regional logistics hub status

The News

Namibia is advancing rail infrastructure development, including the operational Walvis Bay-Karibib freight corridor launched in July 2026 targeting 25,000 tonnes monthly, and the proposed Trans-Kalahari Railway linking Walvis Bay to Windhoek, Gaborone and Johannesburg, to compete for Southern African freight volumes and secure Port of Walvis Bay traffic amid regional competition.

11 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 11 August

Namibia develops rail corridors to strengthen regional logistics hub status
Namibia is advancing rail infrastructure development, including the operational Walvis Bay-Karibib freight corridor launched in July 2026 targeting 25,000 tonnes monthly, and the proposed Trans-Kalahari Railway linking Walvis Bay to Windhoek, Gaborone and Johannesburg, to compete for Southern African freight volumes and secure Port of Walvis Bay traffic amid regional competition.
11 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Thursday 30 July

Financial inclusion rises but household resilience remains weak
Simonis Storm Securities analysis of Namibia's 2025 Financial Inclusion Survey shows that 86.0% of people aged 15+ now use at least one formal or informal financial product, up from 78.0% in 2017, but the median household has little room to absorb economic shocks and remains dependent on modest, irregular wages and grants due to heavily bottom-weighted income distribution.
30 July 2026 · Informanté →

Monday 13 July

Namibia inflation expected to ease in H2 2026 after June peak
Namibia's inflation, which peaked at 4.4% in June, is expected to moderate in the second half of 2026 following fuel price cuts in July. However, economists warn that electricity tariffs, administered price increases, and food costs pose upside risks.
13 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Monday 29 June

Mining weakness poses risk despite Q1 2026 GDP stabilization
Namibia's economy showed 2% year-on-year GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026, stabilizing after near-stagnation in late 2025, but persistent weakness in mining—particularly a 12.2% contraction in the sector, with diamond production down 18.6% and base metals down 31.2%—remains a key downside risk for 2026 growth prospects, according to Simonis Storm Securities.
29 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Thursday 11 June

MTC revenue grows 7.1%, but costs cut profit gains
Mobile Telecommunications Limited reported first-half 2026 revenue of N$1.95 billion, up 7.1%, driven by prepaid services and roaming; however, operating costs rose faster than revenue, causing EBITDA margin to decline from 49.4% to 47.4% and earnings to grow only 1.6%. Simonis Storm Securities downgraded MTC's stock from "buy" to "hold" and reduced its full-year earnings forecast and target share price to 1,035 cents.
11 June 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 9 June

Central bank warns public debt could reach 70% of GDP
Bank of Namibia governor Ebson Uanguta warned that Namibia's public debt could rise to 70% of GDP by the end of the current financial year without spending reforms, noting that debt has already exceeded the 60% benchmark and currently stands at 65.2% of GDP. The central bank says the government can no longer rely on borrowing to fund expenditure and cautioned against borrowing against future oil revenues.
9 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 20 May

Trustco cautions shareholders during ongoing delisting process
Trustco Group Holdings Limited has advised shareholders to exercise caution when trading its shares as the company proceeds with delisting from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Namibia Securities Exchange, and the OTCQX Market. The company first announced the delisting consideration in January 2025 and said the process includes appointing an independent expert to provide an updated fairness opinion.
20 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 19 May

Namibian vehicle sales drop 20.6% in April despite year-to-date growth
Namibian vehicle sales fell 20.6% month-on-month to 1,320 units in April, though cumulative four-month sales of 5,155 units remain 10.6% ahead of the same 2025 period and the strongest year-to-date showing since 2018. Simonis Storm Securities attributed the monthly pullback to the natural unwinding of March's surge driven by commercial fleet deliveries and rental activity, not a broader softening of demand.
19 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Vehicle sales drop 20.6% in April after March surge
Namibia's vehicle market slowed in April with total sales falling to 1,320 units from 1,662 units in March, though April sales remained 5.7% higher than April 2025. Analysts at Simonis Storm Securities attributed the decline to a natural unwinding of March's record-breaking performance, which was driven by fleet deliveries and rental sector demand, while noting the year-to-date performance remains strong at 10.6% growth.
19 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Friday 15 May

Namibia's debt increasingly a cash-flow challenge, economist warns
Economist Almandro Jansen warns that Namibia's debt situation is becoming a cash-flow and refinancing challenge as government relies on continuous domestic borrowing, with a total financing requirement of approximately N$29.22 billion (10.2% of GDP) for 2026/27, though the country remains capable of funding itself.
15 May 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 7 May

Private sector credit growth slows to 4.3%, household lending strengthens
Namibia's private sector credit growth eased to 4.3% in March 2026 from 4.7% in February, with total credit at N$123.3 billion. Household borrowing gained momentum to 4.1% year-on-year—its highest in the current cycle—driven by stronger mortgage lending, instalment credit, and overdrafts, while corporate lending showed seasonal fluctuations.
7 May 2026 · Informanté →
Simonis Storm maintains hold rating on Paratus despite revenue growth
Simonis Storm Securities has maintained a hold recommendation on Paratus Namibia Holdings after the company reported revenue of N$381.3 million for the six months ended 31 December 2025, up 16.5% year-on-year, but posted a total comprehensive loss of N$36.3 million. The analyst attributed the weaker earnings to ongoing investment in the mobile network launched in September 2025, though customer growth in mobile, SkyFi, and fibre services is beginning to improve.
7 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 3 May

Namibia could follow Singapore path with institutional discipline
Economist Almandro Jansen argues that Namibia's emerging oil, gas and mineral wealth could drive long-term economic transformation or deepen structural challenges depending on governance and institutional reform. Singapore transformed from a low-income economy (US$500 GDP per capita in 1965) into a high-income hub (exceeding US$100,000 by 2025), while Namibia has reached upper-middle-income status with roughly US$5,000 GNI per capita but remains constrained by high unemployment, limited diversification, and rising fiscal pressures.
3 May 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 21 April

Japan leads Namibia vehicle sales in March with 1,069 units
Namibia sold 1,069 Japanese vehicles in March, making Japan the country's largest vehicle source and driving total March sales to 1,662 units—a 43% monthly increase and the strongest March performance since 2015. Japanese brands accounted for 64.3% of total sales, with commercial vehicle purchases surging 57.1% to a record 916 units, supported by demand from logistics, mining, agriculture, and energy sectors.
21 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 21 March

Namibia vehicle sales hit nine-year February high at 1,165 units
New vehicle sales in February reached 1,165 units, a 4.1% year-on-year increase, driven by robust demand in mining, agriculture, and energy sectors. Analysts expect continued strength from construction activity at new uranium, gold, copper mines and offshore oil and gas exploration.
21 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 4 March

2026/27 budget stabilises debt amid growth constraints and revenue pressure
An economist from Simonis Storm Securities says Namibia's 2026/27 budget represents a stabilisation framework under financial constraint, with GDP growth revised to 3.1% and projected to recover only modestly. The budget reveals structural vulnerabilities: revenue remains heavily exposed to SACU volatility and commodity cycles, public debt is projected to stabilise at an elevated 67.5% of GDP, and interest payments will consume nearly 18% of total revenue, crowding out fiscal space for other priorities.
4 March 2026 · Informanté →
FMD outbreak could cost Namibia N$2.5 billion in beef exports
A macroeconomic risk analysis by Simonis Storm Securities warns that if foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) disrupts Namibia's access to key international beef markets, the country could lose up to N$2.5 billion in export revenue over six months, with potential GDP growth reduction of 0.5 percentage points. Although Namibia remains FMD-free, recent outbreaks in Botswana and South Africa—particularly a case reported last month in South Africa's Northern Cape province, which borders Namibia—heighten the risk to the country's livestock sector and livelihoods of 70,000 to 90,000 workers in the industry.
4 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 26 February

Finance Minister tables 2026–27 budget amid revenue and debt pressures
Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah is presenting Namibia's 2026–2027 National Budget to Parliament as the country faces structural revenue challenges, rising public debt, and fiscal constraints. Government revised its revenue forecast downward to N$89.4 billion, while public debt is projected to reach N$177 billion (about 60% of GDP), with fixed costs consuming roughly 60% of expenditure.
26 February 2026 · Informanté →