Namibia continues to export thousands of livestock on the hoof, with South Africa dominating as the primary destination, raising questions pertaining to the country’s dependence on the neighbour’s feedlot system and the long-term sustainability of its livestock industry.
It has emerged that, in 2024 alone, Namibia exported 172,901 live cattle to South Africa, underscoring the nation’s heavy reliance on its southern neighbour’s well-established feedlot system.
This was revealed by Meat Board Head of Marketing Desmond Cloete in an exclusive interview with Confidente, this week.

Professor Goran Hyden of the University of Cape Town said this: “Turning the despair and pessimism that affect large sectors of the African people into hope and optimist will require from the planners of African development, to re-inspect the premises upon which they have based their planning for national development to date. No one escapes this challenge, there are no short cuts to progress”

The “snail era,” in Namibia, is fast reaching its end. This, if recent statistics from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) are anything to go by.
CRAN reports that in the last quarter of 2024, postal box usage in Namibia dropped by 35%, whereas the utilization of private bags also fell by 37%.
This decline in post box and private bag usage can be primarily attributed to the widespread adoption of digital communication methods like email and online messaging, leading to a significant decrease in the volume of physical letters being sent through the mail.

First National Bank of Namibia (FNB) reports a slight increase in the Private Sector Credit Extension (PSCE) growth rate for January 2025, from 4.0% year-over-year to 4.1% year on year. This suggests “credit growth has continued, albeit at a modest rate.”

South African born billionaire and owner of Tesla has donated and electric vehicle (EV) charging station to the City of Windhoek valued at about N$120, 000.
The charging station will be installed at the City of Windhoek’s offices, making it publicly accessible for monitoring usage trends, the City of Windhoek has announced.
“ This installation will also contribute to ongoing research on the integration of electric vehicles into Namibia’s transport system,” it said in a statement this week.

What some may deem a noble move has now backfired on Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Minister, Calle Schlettwein, with the lawmaker being accused of misleading his fellow legislators when he tabled a motivational speech for the expansion of communal land.

Namibian Police (Nampol) officers at Omuthiya are accused of being in bed with drug dealers, resulting in the escalation of drug abuse and crime in the town.
Members of the public allege that the Nampol drug law enforcement unit at the northern town is in the pockets of the dealers.
According to one resident who preferred to remain anonymous, there have been complaints from members of the public about drugs (cannabis) being openly sold at several houses in the town’s Okaniita location. These complaints were reportedly reported to the police, but no action was reportedly taken.

Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Ester Anna Nghipondoka is embroiled in a court battle following her ministry’s bungling of a N$44 million catering tender, late last year.  
The tender, which is centered around the supply and delivery of foodstuff to government schools and hostels, in the two Kavango regions as well as Zambezi, for the period of six months was allegedly granted to a company that is charging the ministry over N$6 million more. 

While African Stars tops the Debmarine Premiership with 21 points from 10 matches, Benni Haoseb, interim coach since Ronny Kanalelo’s departure, acknowledges the work ahead. Young African trails closely with 20 points, and FC Ongos and Khomas NamPol follow with 18.

Former indoor hockey great, Magreth ‘Maggy’ Mengo, has praised the country’s senior women’s indoor hockey team that competed at the International Hockey Federation (IFH) Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia.
Although the women’s side finished in sixth place after losing to Belgium at the IFH Indoor Hockey World Cup, their performance did not go unnoticed by former captain Mengo, who had participated in previous World Cups before retiring from international hockey nearly two years ago.