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What's in a name?

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What's in a name?What's in a name?Some were established by accident and some had purpose. Regardless of their birth, these are local brands trending in Namibia and across the borders. Being brought together by Namibian owned brands Some were established by accident and some had purpose. Regardless of their birth, these are local brands trending in Namibia and across the borders. Feelingz Nation
It all began with a black printed T-shirt, and it is currently one of the top selling clothing local brands in Namibia. Fillemon Natangwe Shuuya owner of Feelingz Nation says that he draws his inspiration from the Namibian kwaito legend The Dogg as he is talented, sells and is moving forward. Established in 2015, Feelingz Nation has a series of clothing, ranging from T-shirts and vests at N$150 to hoodies at N$350. Shuuya believes he has shaped a feeling of belonging and peace, when people stagger and they are putting on Feelingz Nation it makes them feel that they belong to a thing. Feelingz Nation’s biggest dream is to hand over a Feelingz Nation T-shirt to the president of Namibia, Dr Hage Geingob. For orders, @feelingznation on social media.


Respect my hustle
Respect My Hustle (RMH) was established in 2014 by Silva Shapwa. Silva started a clothing printing shop. He felt that his peers were not respecting what he did and decided to get the message through a clothing brand. " Respect my Hustle" simply means respecting what someone does to make a living, whether small or big or whether recognised or not. RMH prints garments such as sweaters, hoodies, short trousers, swimming costumes and many more. To date, the brand has more than 10 000 followers all over Namibia. RMH items range from N$100 to N$600, with items such as vests costing N$100 and winter full kits costing N$650. With the mission of bringing inspiration and innovation to every Namibian, redefining Namibian fashion and providing quality products Sylva’s dream is for RMH to be a world-class brand, with exceptional and personalised service.


Namswagg
Namswag is a local brand that promotes Namibian swagg. It aims to motivate the Namibian youth to dress in style and to be proud of where they come from. The brand was established in 2016 and has grown well since. There is a Namswagg clothing line that includes T-shirts for N$180, vests and tops for N$150, official shirts for N$300; hoodies at N$400 and leggings for N$180. The Namswagg brand is a brand for all the Namibians not just for specific people for we are one. The brand has colours that represent our country. People are welcome to send their pictures with swagg to be uploaded on our pages. Namswag does not have a specific place where they sell the items - they are simply ordered and delivered to the customers through social media. Like the Facebook page and join the group on Facebook @Namswagg_brand and Instagram @Namswagg_brand.
Pride
Owned by Halm Clothing Corporation, this is a brand that everyone can relate to as it is not based in a certain town or region but rather, it is for Namibians to wear a unique brand regardless of where they come from, with pride. The aim is to reach not only a market in Namibia but to go international. Pride is also available in the US. We have shorts, caps, T-shirts, vests, sweatpants and sunglasses sold in the range of N$80 to N$250. Pride will soon be available in official wear for both female and male, and swimming costumes. Pride clothes can be found in Windhoek and Rundu at 081 633 3446 and will soon be available at ppfashion stores. People can find us on Facebook @Halm Clothing and Halm_l on instagram.


The Rogue Nation
Rogue means behaving in ways that are expected by one but rejected by society, often in ways that lead to discovering one’s true self in a constructive way. The Rogue Nation is a local and international brand, a movement and a lifestyle created especially for the youth and everyone who wants to take charge and lead their life in a positive way. This is no ordinary brand, this is a revolution and our biggest aim is to uplift the uninitiated and make them part of a nation that knows no boundaries when it comes to self-realisation. The Rogue Nation focuses on letting people know that it is not about the education that you have but it is about the determination and hard work on that which makes us happy as individuals that frees us from the chains of society. The Rogue Nation is here to make sure that people come together despite their differences. Just because you got 50 points in Grade 12 doesn’t mean you should be an engineer if you’re a great singer. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t. Think different, go Rogue!


Collabo
Collabo Trading CC is a creative Namibian company established in 2011. The company currently trades in very well designed, promoted and highly demanded clothing, under the Collabo brand name. Collabo has become one of the leading locally owned clothing brands due to its international design standard, quality product and services. Collabo is not just a beautiful art work, it is love and inspiration. The word collabo is taken from the word collaboration, which means togetherness; hence the company slogan “Union que major” in Spanish, which means together we are the best. The company has a vision to invest and expand to an industrial and commercial level, with the aim of benefiting fellow youth and to create job opportunities. Our prices range between N$200 and N$450 depending on the product; including free delivery in Windhoek. To buy our brand products you can visit our Collabo social media pages “collabo_clothing” on Facebook and Instagram; for contact numbers and be directed to a sale agent.
Nam Legend
The Nam Legend brand established in 2014 after founder and CEO PJ Amunyela found out the child he had been raising for two years was not his biological daughter. Nam Legend is a master brand which gives inspiration to all young Namibians who are working hard to achieve whatever they are striving for in life. Its mission is to encourage all Namibians to never give up in life and in whatever situation they may find themselves in. What makes Nam Legend unique is its design and the fact that it does not discriminate, just like Harambee nobody is left out. Our items include tops ,T-shirts, shorts, leggings, dresses and hoodies and prices range from N$280 to N$550. The brand can be purchased online through the Nam Legend page on FB, Instagram KingPj16 or call 081 212 5077 and 081 336 1961 to place an order.
The Realest


The Realest is a clothing line that abides to the latest trends in fashion. The clothes are made with the consideration of things that people want to wear and what people are tired of wearing. Established in early 2016, The Realest defines the clothing line as a lot of people just print shirts or sweaters for a while and stop, or they use some bad quality printing on their shirts which immediately fades away. The Realest clothing options include hoodies for N$350, vests for, N$150 and the shirts, 180. The letters D.I.L.I.N. written on the bottom left of the clothes stand for Doing It Like It’s Nothin’. The Realest isn’t just a clothing line, it is a brand.


Letu Urban Wear
The Letu Urban Wear Brand originated from the north. It was established by Meduletu Molokoshi. The name Letu means ours in Oshiwambo. Its main purpose is to make the youth to learn how to help themselves by being initiators and not dependents. It mainly focusing on local market to establish good ways of making our local product reach all corners of the country. It has worked with brands like Kashipu, Van Die Mooi , Young Tycoon, Rise and Above and Theory Hustle and other brands, to create a better industry of local brands and build a bond between local brands. The clothing line has hoodies, car stickers, shirts and T-shirts in the price range of N$50 to N$550. Letu Urban Wear is available in the following towns - Windhoek, Oranjemund, Otjiwarongo Ondangwa, Walvis Bay/Swakopmund and Ongwediva.
Wayidiva Clothing
The brand that was formed in 2011 by a young man with the name Martinus from Rundu. He says he always had a dream of having his own business. His father, who is a businessman was his biggest role model. “I have always been wanting to change the fashion our people wear - that's my biggest plan. Our people should start wearing our own local brands and that's why I decided to open up a shop where they can get the local brands together. This just the beginning… I have bigger and better plans for the Wayidiva brand.” Look out for the brand at Park Mall in Rundu. You can get Wayidia Clothing on Facebook Wayidiva Clothing and on Instagram @wayidivaclothing zakapatako.


“King of Whk”
Ibia King realised fairly early how much foreign clothing brands influenced southern African nations because of the great demand for these items in Africa. They discovered that this demand was as a result of the quality assurance these brands from abroad and they thought of how many local brand we can rely on to provide us with clothing that is not only stylish but also encourages self-worth and patriotism with the region. K.O.W. strives to achieve to go further than just acquire a significant market position but to use this influence to encourage confidence amongst the pessimistic and doubtful, and destroy the false perception that local clothing brands provide poor quality products. K.O.W.’s main focal point is Windhoek but they have great ideas for other movements that encourage patriotism in other towns in Namibia.
Twins Power
The brand was established in 2012 by brothers Pacx and Tre. They initially printed shirts for themselves but close friends and family demanded to have the same T-shirts with the same brand. They became active early 2016 after receiving calls from people all over the country demanding that they need the product and asking the price. The mission of Twins Power is to be a Namibian recognised brand that is affordable. Prices vary depending on the product, with the highest price at N$300 for the hoodies and T-shirts and crop tops are available at N$150. The product is available countrywide where a customer can call for delivery. They have a Facebook and Instagram page where customers can enquire about the availability of the product in their respective towns.
I Run My Life
IRML is a Namibian trademark that was founded by Abed Jona and Nakalemo Martin 2014. The idea came about looking at the negativity that was rising in that year on social media. The brand aims to spread the word of self belief and for one not to let the judgements of others describe who they really are. The phrase " I run my life" , speaks for itself, meaning that you are in control of your own life and no one has the right to be disappointed of your own life, as they have theirs to live. The phrase targets the young, youth, mid youth and the elders who are finding it hard to focus on what they worked hard for. Merchandise is available countrywide, through various mediums like social media (@i_run_my_life) on Instagram and Facebook, boutiques, clothing shops (Antonio's Art) and at 081 211 5440 countrywide or 081 474 3324 for Windhoek.
Van Die Mooi
VDM is a Namibian product with an Afrikaans statement. What makes the brand VDM unique from other brands is that they cater for all young or old. VDM also ploughed back into community in 2014 from the small sales made and gave to the Gobabis community via their municipality. Products range from tops, T-shirts, shorts, hoodies, baby grows, pull-overs and sweaters. The owner Mauno Shawn Ambambi would like to open up a few branches in the near future to make the availability better. The products are available by calling 081 243 2534 or at Trends Fashion in Walvis Bay .T-shirts and tops are N$250 and sweaters range from N$380 to N$450. VDM intends to expand and brand jeans and shoes.
Wambo Spirit Clothing
Wambo Spirit Clothing is a stylish and affordable local brand was founded in 2014. It is currently being run by Pietie and Haitange. This brand unites the diversity of the different Owambo cultural groups and now uniting Namibia as a whole. WS clothing can be purchased in Oshakati at the new TmT House. In the capital, in Ombili and Wanaheda. In other towns we deliver with an extra N$30 added to the price. This is one of the brand's unique qualities: The clothing is 100% Namibian. V-neck and round neck T-shirts for $180, tops and vests $150, leggings for ladies $180, long pants priced $280, short pants for $220. We have official shirts for both men and women for $350 only. Hoodies for $400. For more info contact 081 043 9592.
Black Excellence
The BE clothing line was established in 2013, specialising in a variety of clothing ranging from hoodies, T-shirts, shirts, crop tops and sweatpants. The idea behind the brand was to promote and celebrate black culture and black consciousness, celebrate the heroes and heroines of our black history. Today Black Excellence has introduced a new marketing platform under the theme #KnowYourWorth which is aimed at encouraging excellence, success in all forms of society through #SelfWorth. Black Excellence is not in the business of generating revenue but giving back to the community and empowering the black community through motivation and charitable events. They serve a purpose and that is what makes Black Excellence unique and stand out from all other local brands. For pricing and viewing of different clothing Black Excellence sells, you can visit their Instagram page @blackexcellence_2013 or our Facebook page @Pipe Clothing.
Omshasho Clothing
Established in 2003, Mshasho Clothing is a Namibian clothing brand founded by Martin " The Dogg" Morrocky and is one of the oldest and constant clothing brands in Namibia. The company is 100% owned by Mshasho. The name Mshasho is derived from its original name Omushasho which is the Oshiwambo name for a shotgun. Omshasho has a range of clothing from shirts, shoes and tops to accessories such as watches and sunglasses. Omshasho branded clothes can be found in Streethouse countrywide and on request.
JUNE SHIMUOSHILI

aunty nangy 1 september

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aunty nangy 1 septemberaunty nangy 1 september
He has gone silent


Dear Aunty Nangy
I am a 23-year-old woman and I have a problem with my boyfriend. He doesn’t text me anymore. I even texted him and still he didn’t reply my text. I really love him too much. What can I do? Help me please.
Sometimes we rush to make negative conclusions. Your boyfriend could be having genuine reasons for not communicating with you. It could be that he lost his phone or might not be feeling well at all. I suggest that you ask someone who is close to him like a friend or relative that you know. I am sure someone who knows that you are an item will help you to find out why he is not communicating.


I still love him


Dear Aunty Nangy
I am an 18-year-old girl. I have a problem. I don’t know what to do, can you help? I was dating a guy who is 20 years old and he drives a taxi. He loves me and I love him too but we broke up last month. I don’t know what to do can you help me.
The love you have for this man seems to have drained you of your reasoning capacity. You are living in denial and that is a big problem. If you have broken up then why are you so hopeless? Please find another soul mate.



Can I fall pregnant four days after periods?


Dear Aunty Nangy
Is it possible for me to fall pregnant four days after having my monthly period if I had unprotected sex?
Different people have different monthly cycles. Some women have their periods every 28 days while others have them every 30 or even 33 days. It is not possible to fall pregnant after only four days because the time is too short to make a new egg and for it to mature to be fertilised and make a baby. But always remember that if your cycle is not the same every month then it is difficult to know when it is dangerous to have sex without falling pregnant. If you are not ready to have a baby then please go to the nearest clinic and get advice on the best contraceptives to use for family planning. In Namibia this service is offered free of charge.


Too old for me


Dear Aunty Nangy,
I am a 22-year-old girl and my boyfriend is 26. He loves me too much but he is old for me. Help me.
A difference of only four years! I am sure you made a mistake. Your boyfriend must be older than 26 because the difference in your ages is very small. After all age is just but a number!


Vaginal discharge worrying me


Dear Aunty Nangy,
I am 17 years old and I always have a white discharge coming from my vagina. Please help me.
The best advice that I can give you is to see your doctor as soon as possible. I cannot tell what that white discharge is. It could be nothing serious or it can also be symptoms of a serious infection or disease.

What must I eat to get fat?
Dear Aunty Nangy
I want to become fat. What must I eat? Help me please.
There are certain foods that will help you to gain weight but remember some people will never gain weight no matter how much they eat fattening foods. The following foods will help to make you gain weight.
You should include the following foods in your diet: White rice, peanut butter, bananas, tuna fish, full cream milk, eggs, nuts and cheese to name a few.


I am shy to tell a woman I love her


Dear Aunty Nangy
I am a 22-year-old boy and my problem is that I don’t know how to approach or propose a girl. What can I do? Help me Aunty.
I can see that you belong to the shy camp. You are not the only one and there is nothing fearful about telling a woman that you love her. There are so many ways to tell her. Ask her out and take her to a quiet place where you can sit and talk. You don’t have to tell her verbally but there are so many ways to show a woman that you love her. You can hold her hand and gently rub it, look into her eyes when you are talking to her, send her romantic messages, tell her she is beautiful, run your fingers through her hair or just gather the confidence to tell her you love her. You don’t need to go to university to tell a woman that you love her. Action speaks louder than words my dear.



We are okay after all

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We are okay after allWe are okay after all After such a long week of searching for local clothing brands I came to the realisation that the Namibian youth are actually not “sleeping” as assumed to be by so many. I mean, we have those that opt to be on the streets because they detest school, or those that would rather sit at home and drink because of their surnames. But that alone is a story on its own for another day chommie. You will be so shocked to know that there are over 40 local clothing brands countrywide. People joining forces to eradicate poverty out of their lanes, those that want to unite the country through clothing, and in really smart and innovative ways.
Although there are all these unique ways of staying out of trouble if I may say, there are those that have no idea what they are doing. I noticed that many of these owners just want a shortcut to fame and decide to paste their name of a plain white tee and conclude to be the ‘Adidas’ of Namibia. Some, on the other hand just like following others and they don’t want to be left behind and settle on making their friends by Jet Stores’ T-shirts at a higher price than usual to make a quick buck. Not sure of how far that mentality will take you or how many friends will have to buy the same clothing over and over.
Many are succeeding in this industry that’s becoming very popular and the future looks blooming bright. But we mos live in Namibia where people will try to zula your last dollar or life for nothing in return and that’s a culture we need to kill. The love for God, things must stop guys. Approximately three brand owners spoke about how people (not customers) always want free gear before buying which is absolutely not true! Who knows how Louis Vuitton started his clothing business? I want to believe he didn’t succeed because of the free tops and shirts he gave away.
All in all I want to wish all these local designers the best in their careers and have their brands international someday! Lets Harambee and support our brothers and sisters guys. And for those that want to start their own clothing line someday, be creative and innovative. We don’t need more T-shirts from Jet with funny slogans from bored varsity students, arikana.
June Shimuoshili


june@namibiansun.com

Miss Earth Namibia does her share

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Miss Earth Namibia does her shareMiss Earth Namibia does her shareAs part of her campaign for Mother Earth, Fransiska Mbambo will plant trees and will place the focus on climate change and the environment. The ambassador for 2016 is cleaning up Rundu As part of her campaign for Mother Earth, Fransiska Mbambo will plant trees and will place the focus on climate change and the environment. Fransiska Mbambo, model and student who hails from the Kavango East Region was appointed this year as the Miss Earth Namibia ambassador, and this selection comes with responsibilities of carrying out activities for the greater good of the community. This coming Sunday the Miss Earth Namibia ambassador will carry out what she has termed as “Community clean-up” campaign in the town of Rundu. The starting point of the campaign will be at Rundu Town Council. She invites the residents of the town to come join her in cleaning up the town.
Some of the projects she will be embarking upon include the planting of trees at selected schools in Rundu for the good of the environment and as a way of taking care of Mother Earth. Not only that, Fransiska will also be having an environment and climate change campaign in selected schools of the Kavango East Region.
Fransiska is also asking the public to donate stationery such as mathematics sets, pens, books, book covers and posters among other things so that she can give these to geography learners at selected schools in Kavango East where she comes from, she appeals that if you have that pen, ruler, eraser or any other writing implements in your office that you do not use, please donate it. It does not matter how small your donation is. You may also donate N$10 for Fransiska to purchase the math sets.
Fransiska is also going to have a similar clean-up campaign in Windhoek like the one she will be carrying out in Rundu on 4 September. During her visit to Rundu the Miss Earth Namibia ambassador will also be having a climate change and environmental issues workshop, which is scheduled to take place on 5 September 2016 at Ngandu Safari Lodge in Rundu. Fransiska, the Miss Earth Namibia ambassador was also the Face of Namibia 2015 winner, Miss Grand Namibia 2015 first runner-up and is a model at Dingi Model Management.
Michael Kayunde

Facebook readies African internet satellite launch

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Facebook readies African internet satellite launchFacebook readies African internet satellite launch

Facebook will launch a satellite later this week to extend internet access to rural parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.
The satellite will “beam down connectivity,” the CEO said in a presentation on Wednesday in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
“We built these solar-powered drones that are basically like a cellphone tower in the sky. They can go over really remote rural locations and beam down connectivity to make sure networks spread and reach everyone.”
The US social media company opened its first Africa office in Johannesburg last year and agreed to a deal with Paris-based Eutelsat Communications SA to launch the satellite.
The move is intended to enable Facebook to add users in parts of the continent that don’t have internet access, increasing the company’s reach.
While internet-by-satellite is usually a costly option in the developing world, Zuckerberg said he planned to make accessing the network affordable.
“It’s not much good having the infrastructure if people cannot afford to use it,” he said.
Facebook had 84 million users in Sub-Saharan Africa at the end of July, compared with 1.7 billion worldwide. To overcome obstacles such as the lack of high-speed connectivity on the continent, the company rolled out products that can function on slower connections, including Facebook Lite.

BLOOMBERG

South African mine deaths rise

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South African mine deaths riseSouth African mine deaths riseSouth Africa’s fatality frequency rate fell to 0.08 in 2015 from 0.3 in 2003, remaining higher than most other mining jurisdictions. After years of improving safety South Africa’s fatality frequency rate fell to 0.08 in 2015 from 0.3 in 2003, remaining higher than most other mining jurisdictions. Pakiso Matsemela recalls the day he lost the use of his legs, joining the long casualty list of a South African mining industry whose accident rate is again climbing after years of improvement.
“I heard a bang and suddenly I was hit in the back by a rock. It felt like a rush of heat,” the 63–year–old told Reuters, recounting the accident that shattered his spine at the Northam Platinum mine.
That was in May, 2009 and – while of no consolation to the paralysed Matsemela – South Africa’s mines were at the time gradually getting to grips with their appalling safety record.
With an unforgiving geology, South Africa is home to the world’s deepest mines where workers labour up to 4 km beneath the surface. Nevertheless, the industry had been making great safety strides, with mining deaths falling for eight straight years – until this year.
The stakes are high with the mining firms, which are major employers in an economy with a 25% jobless rate, under pressure from the government and investors alike to improve safety. So too are the political stakes in a country still haunted by apartheid, when critics say profits counted for more than the lives of black miners.
Today those profits can be marginal. Platinum prices, for example, are still languishing after a global commodities downturn despite a modest recovery this year, while improved safety measures – as well as production stoppages due to accidents – come at a cost. Boardrooms are wary: global mining group BHP, which has spun off its South African operations, says it will not invest in platinum because of the risks.
“We think every one of our fatalities is avoidable. Platinum cannot be managed safely. Platinum is in very deep mines, with very narrow seams, which are geologically unstable,” said BHP spokesperson Ruban Yogarajah.
One simple innovation has started saving scores of lives: netting to catch falling rocks at the face, or stope, where drilling and blasting take place. The government has stepped up safety inspections – but the industry says sometimes inspectors have imposed arbitrary work stoppages over safety, costing billions of rand in lost output and putting mines and jobs on the line.
The mines ministry says the upturn in the death toll shows the need for the stoppages, and has signalled it will increase scrutiny. In July it hired 38 more inspectors.
Back in 1993, the year before Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president, 615 miners died in the pits. By 2009, when Matsemela suffered his accident, the rate had dropped to 167 and it kept falling, reaching 77 in 2015, the Chamber of Mines said.
But so far this year, the death toll has risen to 59 from 48 in the same period of 2015. This has been attributed to a series of lay–offs which unions say have perhaps driven workers, fearful for their jobs, to take risks to lift production.
“That increases the pressure on the workers. So there is an increased focus on production and that causes increased risks,” said Paul Mardon, head of the safety department at the union Solidarity.
Neal Froneman, CE of gold and platinum producer Sibanye Resources, told Reuters: “There could be production pressure that results in people putting production ahead of safety – not that we condone that.”
At the depths mined in South Africa, falls of ground are almost inevitable. Hence the focus on minimising the consequences of such incidents, which often take place at the stope, where a miner with a drill bores holes for explosives. Results are encouraging. In 2003, falls of ground accounted for 131 of 267 deaths in South Africa’s mines. In 2015, they caused 22 out of 77. “Safety nets have proven their worth. Nets have caught rocks that would have almost certainly have killed,” said August Lamos, a mining engineer at the University of the Witwatersrand.
But nets can only do so much. Seismic events can unleash rubble that would overwhelm any net.

Zero harm, technical limits
The government and industry target is “zero harm” but Lamos said technology has limits.
“You won’t ever get a year in South African mining without fatalities.”
Mechanisation – replacing humans with machines – has been introduced at some mines.
But most gold and platinum seams are too narrow and steep for machines to access. And technology cannot remove human error. This is where some of the friction with inspectors is emerging.
Sources at Sibanye say the firm’s Kroondal Platinum mine was shut for two days after a vehicle driver failed to brake, injuring himself. Executives say that while work stoppages are often justified, this kind of blanket halt is not. When a mine is shut, output is lost while idle miners get paid.
Producers, mindful of safety, say they impose their own stoppages. In 2014, Gold Fields’ CEO Nick Holland shut most of the South Deep mine for three months because he was not happy with its support systems. “We lost a huge amount of market value but sometimes you have to take hard decisions on safety,” Holland told Reuters.
But in Phuthaditjhaba, a sprawling mountain township where Matsemela now lives, the paralysed ex-miner feels cheated. “I contributed so much to the economy of this country. And now I lead a life like this,” he said.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Steers company buys UK burger chain for R2.1bn

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Steers company buys UK burger chain for R2.1bnSteers company buys UK burger chain for R2.1bn


Fast food group Famous Brands bought Britain’s Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) for R2.1 billion, saving nearly a fifth on the price due to the weaker pound in the wake of Brexit, the firm said on Thursday.
The group, which also owns casual dining chain Wimpy UK and fast food assets such as Steers and Debonairs, plans to double the upmarket burger chain’s 75 British stores in the next five years.
“Brexit has had some upside for us,” Famous Brands group adviser for M&A Kevin Hedderwick told Reuters.
The firm started negotiations with GBK earlier this year and saved as much as R700 million on the acquisition, according to Hedderwick, as the pound slumped following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union and South Africa’s rand firmed after relatively peaceful local elections. Hedderwick sees GBK opening 10 to 15 new restaurants in Britain per year and plans to expand further in Ireland and take the gourmet burger concept to South Africa.
“The fast-casual premium environment is pretty recession proof,” he said.

NAMPA/REUTERS

Qatar Airways offers special introductory fares

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Qatar Airways offers special introductory faresQatar Airways offers special introductory fares Qatar Airways has announced special introductory fares to celebrate its new services to Windhoek starting later this month.
The national carrier of Qatar intends to operate four weekly non-stop flights from Windhoek to Doha, connecting to more than 150 destinations across the globe.
Among the more popular destinations for passengers traveling to and from Windhoek are Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, London, Paris, Rome and Vienna, and these are to be facilitated via the airline’s home and hub, Hamad International Airport.
“The special inaugural fare offers a discount of up to 25% on bookings from now until 15 September 2016, and is valid for travel between 15 August 2016 and 30 June 2017,” Qatar Airways said in a media statement.
The promotional fares cover both economy and business-class travel, it said.
The award-winning airline was most recently awarded ‘world’s best business class’, ‘best business class airline lounge’, and ‘best airline staff service’ at the 2016 World Airline Awards, hosted by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.
The company said it would serve Windhoek with its state-of-the-art B787 Dreamliner aircraft, which features 254 seats in a two-class configuration.
The airline has a fleet of 190 modern aircraft servicing more than 150 business and leisure destinations on six continents.
Qatar Airways’ Windhoek-to-Doha flights will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, departing at 13:23 and arriving at 23:10.
Doha-to-Windhoek flights will take place on the same days, departing at 02:40 and arriving at 10:40.

STAFF REPORTER

FNB opens relocated Mondesa branch

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FNB opens relocated Mondesa branchFNB opens relocated Mondesa branchThe Erongo Region became one bank branch richer this week, while FNB Namibia says more is coming. Digital branch coming soon, says Van Zyl The Erongo Region became one bank branch richer this week, while FNB Namibia says more is coming. FNB Namibia this week opened its latest branch in Swakopmund’s Mondesa location.
At an event attended by Erongo Regional Governor Kleophas Mutjavikua, the bank stressed the need for an additional branch at the coastal town, considering the rapid pace of change in the banking industry.
“We asked, ‘how can we help you,’ and our customers answered,” FNB Erongo regional manager Tienie Mouton told the gathering, which also included FNB Namibia CEO Sarel van Zyl.
“The new FNB branch will no doubt beautify and enhance the image of Swakopmund and in particular Mondesa, and I trust that our residents will receive fast, efficient and effective customer service from our staff,” Mouton said.
Van Zyl for his part thanked the bank’s customers for its loyal support, revealing that the company would soon open its first “staffless” branch at Swakopmund, where all services, including deposits, withdrawals and transfers, will be completely self-serviced.
“In order to reduce the cost of banking, we are introducing more and more digital banking solutions, and if we consider the take-up of those solutions, we are pleased to report that the Namibian market at large is ready for this transformation in banking,” Van Zyl said.
Mutjavikua thanked the bank for bringing its services closer to more of the town’s citizens, and asked it, along with the rest of the industry, to make sure customers remain clued up to benefit from these services.
“My call still remains that all banks ensure that their customers are financially literate and that no one is left out from the beneficial financial services in the country, and particularly the great Erongo Region,” the governor said.
Also at the event, FNB Namibia announced it had integrated the country’s ‘Harambee Prosperity Plan’ into its long-term business strategy, to which effect it has already pledged N$3 million over the next three years to the Shack Dwellers Association.
That amount is meant to assist with the building of houses for the bottom end of the housing market.
“In addition, we will soon launch a very exciting home loans product aimed at the low to middle segment, and at our last board meeting we approved a special fund to enhance the development of SME business in Namibia, something that will soon be taken to market as well,” Van Zyl said.


DENVER ISAACS

Some 12 500 migrants saved

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Some 12 500 migrants savedSome 12 500 migrants saved Three corpses were recovered as 1 800 migrants were rescued off Libya on Wednesday, taking the total number of people saved since Sunday to nearly 12 500, Italy's coastguard said.
The three dead bodies were recovered from a stricken rubber dinghy by Malta-based NGO MOAS, whose boat the Phoenix rescued a total of 410 people during the day.
Italian navy and coastguard boats were also in action along with a merchant tugboat that happened to be in the area.
Despite the surge in numbers this week, migrant arrivals in Italy are running slightly below last year's levels.
According to Interior Ministry figures, a total of 112 097 people had landed at Italian ports by Wednesday morning, compared with 116 149 for the same period in 2015.
Thousands more will be registered in the coming days, putting more pressure on Italy's already rammed reception centres.
Among those arriving on Wednesday was a three-month-old Nigerian baby girl who was born in Libya and baptised Noa Mary on an Italian navy boat on Tuesday.
Rear Admiral Alberto Maffeis, who acted as the little girl's godfather on board the Virginio Fasan frigate, told RaiNews her mother had asked the onboard chaplain to carry out the ceremony.
" It was like becoming a father again, I had a lump in my throat," he said.
Flavio di Giacomo, the Italy spokesperson for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said that despite this week's high numbers, the profile of departures from Libya remained similar to last year with regular spikes in numbers attributable to favourable weather conditions.
" What is astonishing is that there have been so few casualties thanks to the expertise of the rescuers," he said.
Di Giacomo said the new arrivals were manageable. " There is not a critical situation on the Italian side, the system of reception and identification is working smoothly."
Italy is however having to house ever greater numbers of would-be refugees as its neighbours to the north move to tighten their borders and make it harder for migrants to travel to their preferred destinations in northern Europe.
According to the Interior Ministry, Italy now has 148 000 asylum seekers in reception centres, compared with 103 000 in 2015 and 66 000 in 2014.
The Greek coastguard said on Wednesday it rescued roughly 30 migrants on a stricken vessel as they attempted to reach Italy.
NAMPA/AFP

Gabon on fire

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Gabon on fireGabon on fireIn what has been described as a flawed election process, Gabon’s President Ali Bongo was re-elected causing parliament to be set on fire. Protestors say the election was stolen In what has been described as a flawed election process, Gabon’s President Ali Bongo was re-elected causing parliament to be set on fire. Angry protesters torched Gabon’s parliament on Wednesday after President Ali Bongo was declared winner of what he claimed was a “peaceful and transparent” election, but which the opposition said was fraudulent.
It only took a few minutes for the announcement to sink in before several of Libreville’s poorer neighbourhoods erupted in anger, with thousands of people taking to the streets to express their fury.
As gunfire crackled across the city, at least six people were admitted to hospital with bullet wounds, AFP reporters saw. Several of the wounded said they were shot by security forces.
According to official results made public shortly after 15:00 GMT, Bongo won Saturday’s presidential poll by just 5 594 votes, taking 49.80% to 48.23% for his rival Jean Ping, a veteran diplomat and former top African Union official.
The results will remain “provisional” until they are approved by the constitutional court.
By nightfall, protesters vented their fury by setting fire to the parliament building, sending skyward a plume of flame and black smoke, witnesses and AFP correspondents said.
Fires were visible in other parts of Libreville and explosions were heard as protesters faced off against heavily armed security forces.
“The whole building is catching fire,” a man outside parliament who gave his name as Yannick told AFP.
The parliament lies on the same road as the state TV headquarters, senate, town hall, oil ministry, several embassies and the French cultural centre.
As soon as Bongo’s victory in Saturday’s poll was announced on Wednesday, people took to the streets of the city’s slums, chanting “Ali must go”.
As helicopters flew overhead and smoke rose above poorer neighbourhoods, soldiers, police and gendarmes stopped traffic on the main highway where protesters braved tear gas to set tyres alight.
Protestors shouted, “Jean Ping president!” and “They stole the election”.
Ping, a half Chinese career diplomat has rejected the results, and before they were announced had declared it was he who won.
There was also trouble Wednesday in the economic capital Port Gentil, which saw the worst of the violence that followed Bongo’s 2009 election victory.
That contested vote followed the death of Bongo’s father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the oil-rich country for 41 years.
Any appeal by Ping would likely focus on disputed results in one of the country’s nine provinces - the Haut-Ogooue, the heartland of Bongo’s Teke ethnic group.
In Saturday’s vote, turnout was 59.46% nationwide but soared to 99.93% in Haut-Ogooue, where Bongo won 95.5% of votes.
“It’s going to be difficult to get people to accept these results,” one member of the electoral commission confided to AFP, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject.
“We’ve never seen results like these, even during the father’s time,” he added.
Opposition delegates in the electoral commission have vowed to fight for a recount.

‘Let’s change together’
Ping, the European Union, the United States and former colonial power France have called for voting figures from each of Gabon’s polling stations to be made public to ensure the credibility of overall result.
“This will help give the people of Gabon - as well as the international community - confidence the announced vote tallies are accurate,” US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said.
In 2009, Bongo was declared winner of the election after his father’s death. In the ensuing clashes several people were killed, buildings looted and the French consulate in the economic capital Port Gentil torched.
EU observers, who were barred from the meeting of the electoral commission on Wednesday, said the vote on Saturday was “managed in a way that lacked transparency”.
Joining the EU in pressuring Bongo on Wednesday, the French foreign ministry called for the electoral commission to show “transparency and impartiality”.
“Only in this way can the credibility of the results be guaranteed,” a spokesperson for the French foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Gabon is a former French colony which has been hit by the global slump in the price of crude oil, its biggest export.
One third of Gabon’s population lives in poverty, despite the country boasting one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes at $8,300 thanks to pumping 200 000 barrels of oil a day.
Bongo, 57, campaigned under the slogan “Let’s change together”, playing up the roads and hospitals built during his first term and stressing the need to break with the bad old days of disappearing public funds and dodgy management of oil revenues.
The campaign period was marked by months of bitter exchanges between the two camps, including accusations, and strenuous denials, that Bongo was born in Nigeria and therefore ineligible to run.
Ping’s own roots - he is Sino-Gabonese - served as ammunition for Bongo’s camp, which has suggested he and his son are secretly serving Chinese interests.
NAMPA/AFP

Warriors fiasco a disgrace

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Warriors fiasco a disgraceWarriors fiasco a disgrace It has been an eventful week for Namibian sport particularly for our Brave Warriors who are due to play Senegal this weekend.
The grim state of the game was laid bare this week when it came to light that the Namibia Football Association had to cancel a training session for the Brave Warriors at the Pretoria High Performance Centre due to financial constraints. Head coach Ricardo Mannetti had hoped that the training session would afford both the local and foreign-based players a chance to train together and gel as a unit ahead of the Dakar clash tomorrow for their Group K Afcon qualifier fixture.
Despite it being a “dead rubber” clash, there is always a massive weight of expectation from the management and technical staff to ensure that players give their optimal best when representing their motherland.
To rub further salt into the wound, the NFA also faced an angry showdown with the players in a row over bonus and appearance payments.
This was coupled by the fact that the NFA is too broke to bankroll the national team’s trip to West Africa. Although this matter was later resolved after the NFA managed to get a loan from a local bank, the standoff portrays the country in bad light.
The NFA claims that the sport ministry failed to channel money to them on time for the trip to Dakar. Simply put, scrambling for money at the last minute to honour an international match is not on. There are consequences that won’t reflect well on our country, including the risk of being banned from international soccer for not honouring Afcon commitments. The authorities, especially those with financial muscle, have a moral obligation to ensure that football doesn’t slip further into the doldrums.
The players have made great sacrifices and shown loyalty to their country despite the battered image of Namibian football.
They deserve decent treatment. We cannot further allow the situation to spiral out of control.
Our hearts really bleed for our football.

Job observes US vote

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Job observes US voteJob observes US vote

Namibia’s own Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda will be observing the United States election process later this year.
Amupanda has been selected to participate in the American Council of Young Political Leaders which will take place in the United States between 31 October and 10 November this year.
Amupanda will be joining eight other fellows from Botswana and South Africa.
According to a statement issued by the American Council of Young Political Leaders, the fellows will be in Washington, D.C., for three days of programming before they will travel to Colorado where they will be hosted by the El Pomar Foundation.
During this time the fellows will have the opportunity to meet with representatives of campaigns, ballot initiatives, and get-out-the-vote efforts, and to witness first-hand the pace, excitement, and work that takes place leading up to election day. The 2016 United States elections will be held (for the most part) on Tuesday, 8 November this year. This will also mean the end of President Barack Obama who made history when he became the first African American president and the 44th president of the US in November 2008. Obama was re-elected president in November 2012, defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney and was sworn in for a second term on 20 January 2013.

JEMIMA BEUKES

Good for business

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Good for businessGood for businessExhibitors at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair have lauded the organisers saying this year, the exposure and business opportunity was the best yet. Ongwediva’s trade fair ups profit margins Exhibitors at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair have lauded the organisers saying this year, the exposure and business opportunity was the best yet. The 2016 Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF) which ends tomorrow has been described as a success by businesses who say the environment was conducive and sales went well.
Businesses complimented the organisers of the trade fair for giving them the opportunity to engage with public about their products and also make good sales in the process.
The OATF this year had 440 exhibitors taking part in the fair and there are 22 international exhibitors. MTC’s Erasmus Nekundi said the trade fair was a success because they managed to engage with many customers either through providing services or selling their variety of mobile phones on promotion.
Nekundi said this year’s trade fair was bigger and better pointing towards the long queue of people lined up at the MTC stall in need of their services.
“As you can see the people are here in full swing and mind you our smartphones are selling like cupcakes. The trade fair has been good for business,” he said.
Also sharing their experiences at this year’s trade is TN Mobile’s product manager, Phillip Kambonde who compared the 2015 fair and the current one saying that the 2016 edition has improved a lot and that the organisers have done a wonderful job.
Kambonde said the 2015 trade fair ended before end of the month, the day most of the Namibian’s get paid their salaries and therefore their sales were not that good compared to the current edition.
He said that today and tomorrow they expect a much more audience because of the just-ended annual Olufuko Festival which took place in Outapi.
“The trade fair is good so far and as the Olufuko just ended, the focus will now be on the Ongwediva Trade Fair where we hope to make more sales,” he said.
Nictus Ongwediva branch manager, Justin Schouw also applauded the OATF saying that sales were good.
Fillemon Nampala, the sales promoter at Omalanga Mills also shared their experience at the trade fair saying that business was good as many people bought bags of maize meal at their stand.
Regarding accommodation facilities, Etuna Guest House owner, Ndahambelela Nekwaya said people already started booking for accommodation for next year’s trade fair.
Nekwaya said by June this year, Etuna Guest House which is a couple of footsteps away from the trade fair centre, was fully booked.
She said because of the beautiful rooms and services they offer their clients keep on re-booking especially during the trade fair time.
“We are really grateful towards the Ongwediva Trade Fair as business is good for us and we will continue to make sure people have good accommodation when they come to the next one,” she said.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Industrialisation a key step

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Industrialisation a key stepIndustrialisation a key step

The SADC region has to improve on its overall competitiveness if it wants to become industrialised as a region while each country must do its part by improving the business environment and reducing the transaction costs of opening up and running business enterprises.
This is the view of President Hage Geingob at 36th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Swaziland.
Geingob said that without industrialisation all the lofty ideals including eradication of poverty and the creation of descent sustainable jobs are not possible.
According to him SADC has made enormous progress in standardising procedures and systems in the region, but it must do more to facilitate and streamline border procedures, where there are still some bottlenecks that make us uncompetitive as individual countries and as a region.
He continued by referring to the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Economic Integration report saying that it highlighted pertinent issues to be focused on regional economic integration.
According to Geingob said there is no single country or region that has developed and reached a higher standard of living, without having industrialised.
“As long as we, as a region, continue to export raw, unprocessed goods and continue to import final consumer goods that we do not produce, it will be difficult to create jobs for our citizens and reduce poverty levels.”
Geingob also stressed to succeed in industrialising the region will need partnerships and specifically said those facilitating cross-border movement of goods and services, and most importantly, of people.
He said that the region needs to move faster in enabling citizens to move freely in SADC and eventually on the continent.
He said that is why he recently announced plans to abolish visa requirements for all Africans.
“When I announced that - flood gates. That is the tendency of African countries. Most Europeans travel visa-free, but we are harassed when we go to even our closest friends. We should not hate ourselves, when Europeans do not need visas.”
Geingob also said that he strongly supports the promotion of value addition in the mineral sector and pharmaceuticals as was suggested by the ministerial task force.
He added that the promotion of value addition in the agricultural sector and blue economy should equally be prioritised, as these are the two sectors from where most of the people in our region derive their livelihood.
“These are also two sectors, with huge potential for job creation and poverty eradication.”
According to Geingob, one approach to overcoming the financing constraint of rapid industrialisation will be to focus on projects that can generate their own revenue streams.
He said given the challenges that the region experiences with HIV/Aids, TB and other communicable diseases, the development of a regional pharmaceutical industry should be able to finance itself.
“However, we will have to attune our procurement policies to deliberately purchase locally produced pharmaceutical products to give this industry a head start.”
Geingob also spoke about the opening of air- and seaways that are increasing and said that the development of certain logistics infrastructure should also be able to generate its own cash returns and therefore be bankable with little or no government support.
“I do not see a reason, why airport and port development should be financed by scare government resources while, if properly structured, there is private capital in search for these types of projects.”
With regards to electricity generation and distribution, Geingob said that this is another sector opened up to private sector participation and it will therefore ease the burden on governments to having solely develop and finance this critically enabling sector.
Furthermore Geingob said that while most countries in SADC are now graduating to middle income status, they must question the gross domestic product per capita notion that informs such classification, as it has some inherent weaknesses in capturing overall development.
He also added that countries in the region need to improve our statistical capacity to better capture economic activities in our countries as underestimation of economic activities have negative implications for debt sustainability.
He also said that countries must improve domestic resource mobilisation, by broadening tax bases and strengthening tax collection systems.

ELLANIE SMIT

No time for complacency

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No time for complacencyNo time for complacencyAlthough the official figures indicate that tourist arrivals have increased, Namibia will have to up its game to ensure it stays relevant. Namibia must diversify tourism products and markets Although the official figures indicate that tourist arrivals have increased, Namibia will have to up its game to ensure it stays relevant. Tourism statistics released this week revealed that Namibia needs to enhance its global image. This would entail developing and implementing a national promotion and marketing strategy on a domestic, regional and international level to strengthen its position as a destination.
The statistics also indicated that the tourism industry needs to aggressively diversify its products, address seasonality and strategically manage growth and development.
It showed that total foreign arrivals in Namibia for 2015 have increased by 3% from the previous year from 1,477 million to 1,519 million and tourist figures increased by 5,2% from 1,32 million to 1,387 million.
These latest statistics were released during the launch of the Tourist Statistical Report 2015 by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta who said the statistics for last year paint a healthy picture.
“With no doubt tourism remains a vibrant sector with lots of opportunities and challenges as well. There is thus the need for understanding tourism and its market structure as this will allow for informed decision making.”
However the report states that although there is growth it is clear that this growth significantly declined and may affect Namibia’s reputation as one of the leading countries in tourism growth and development.
The report noted that it is therefore important that Namibia improve marketing strategies to promote the country as a quality and value-for money destination.
It was also pointed out that Namibia is still heavily reliant on traditional source markets which include Europe and within that Germany and the United Kingdom, and therefore it should aggressively develop and implement a demand-driven research-based marketing strategy for Namibia.
“It is important for the sector to market itself aggressively and to offer competitive services and prices. It will be necessary to turn the visitors visiting friends and family into holiday and leisure travellers,” according to the report.
Of the total amount of foreign arrivals 91% were tourists while 7% were same-day visitors and the rest were returning visitors and fell into other categories.
For the purpose of travelling to Namibia 45.6% of tourists were visiting friends and relatives, 38.9% came for holiday and 12.8% were business tourists while 2.7% visited for different purposes.
The top ten countries contributing to Namibia’s tourist market were Angola with 447 038 tourists, South Africa with 351 864 tourists and Zambia with 147 754 tourist arrivals.
These three countries contributed 68% of Namibia’s total tourist arrivals.
Also in the top ten was Germany with 90 729 arrivals, Zimbabwe with 70 940, Botswana with 45 049, the United Kingdom with 25 412 tourist arrivals, the USA with 24 430 arrivals while other African countries contributed 20 639 tourists to Namibia and France had 20 189 tourists to Namibia.
The report also analysed four categories namely Africa, Europe, North America and China. This analysis indicated a 5.2% increase in African tourists to Namibia while the European tourists increased by 5.4%. The North American market increased by 12.4% while a 0.7% decrease was observed in the tourist arrivals from China.
The report further indicates that the top overseas holiday tourists to Namibia was Germany the UK and the USA while the top business tourists were Germany, UK and China.
However it was noted that there was also a decline observed in the Angolan tourist arrivals which could be attributed to the financial crisis that was experienced due to the phasing out of the US dollar. This also led to the retrenchment of workers and closing down of some businesses in Oshikango and other northern and north eastern towns where Angolans used to pass.
The report warns that business owners should consider changing their business concepts and customer segments to include the Namibian clients and what can be affordable to the Angolans as the effects might spill over for the next few years.
The majority of tourists entered Namibia using roads, followed by air with 70.8% of tourists preferring to travel by road and 27.1% making use of air while the rest travelled by other means or sea.
Tourists from Africa tended to travel mostly by road while air traffic dominated European, North American and other regions.
It is also shown that the northeastern border posts (25%) the northern border posts (23%) and the Hosea Kutako International Airports (23%) were the main points of entry used by tourists entering Namibia.
The air arrivals increased with 1.3% while arrivals via road have gone down by 1.8% from 2014 to 2015.

ELLANIE SMIT

New NAC board upbeat

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New NAC board upbeatNew NAC board upbeatThe airports company says the arrival of three new international airlines in Namibia presents massive opportunities for growth. Addresses arrival of foreign airlines The new Namibia Airports Company (NAC) was announced yesterday, shortly after being appointed by the minister of works and transport.
The new board chairperson, who is a lawyer and managing director of Econo Investments, Rodger Kauta, introduced the new board members at a press briefing held by NAC to address the arrival of large international airlines at Hosea Kutako International Airport.
The deputy chairperson of the board is National Housing Enterprise accountant Beverly Gawanas-Vugs, while the other members are Rudolph Rittman (engineer), Lesenda Mohamed (economist) and Ipupa Kasheeta (human resources and business strategist).
The previous board was steered by Ndeuhala Katonyala as the chairperson, and consisted of Marthinus Boshoff, Frieda Aluteni, Panduleni Shimutwikeni and Agostinho Victor.
The Katonyala board has in the past faced severe criticism over how it handled the rehabilitation of the Mpacha Airport at Katima Mulilo, the Hosea Kutako Airport and the Ondangwa Airport.
Kauta yesterday confirmed the imminent arrival of the three new airlines at Namibia’s flagship airport.
He said Qatar Airways will fly between Doha and Windhoek four times a week, KLM will fly between Amsterdam and Windhoek three times a week, and Ethiopian Airlines will fly three times a week between Addis Ababa and Windhoek.
He said the arrival of these airlines presented massive opportunities for growth.
According to him Namibia is well placed geographically to be a key player in the aviation industry on the continent.
Kauta said having world-class brands such as these at Namibia’s airports is an endorsement of the good operating environment that Namibia has created to attract investment.
He added that Hosea Kutako International has exceeded its capacity and strategies have been developed to manage the increased traffic sustainably through slot allocation.
This does not take away the need for developing a new terminal at Hosea Kutako, though.
“These world-class airlines decided to come to Namibia with our current infrastructure; imagine the possibilities if we are to upgrade the airport.”
He added that NAC, air transport stakeholders and the travelling public stand to benefit from the introduction of new airlines and destinations.
According to him these are new destinations and networks not provided before by other airlines, including Air Namibia.
“One destination in the Middle East, an area not covered before, one new destination in Europe to complement the Frankfurt route and one new African city linked to Windhoek.”
Kauta said the benefits to accrue from these new routes are increased tourist arrivals, increased business passengers and economic growth and job creation.
It was explained that additional tourist flows would be generated from the new destinations and the connections these airlines offer, allowing Namibia to expand its tourism base beyond the traditional markets.
He said every additional air route generates economic growth, provides jobs, and increases revenues from taxes.
These are realised through the purchase of services by the new airlines, as well as the recruitment of personnel by the airlines for ticket sales and other services, he said.
He said the launch of air services between countries starts with the governments signing bilateral air services agreements and then each country designates an airline to provide air services between two countries.
Applications for such agreements have been received from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya but have not been finalised.
He added that NAC will continue to encourage and support the government’s efforts for new routes in order to promote Namibia as a logistic hub.
The national carrier Air Namibia is one of the few African airlines permitted to land in the European Union.

ELLANIE SMIT

Six killed in crash

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Six killed in crashSix killed in crash At least six people are reported to have died earlier this morning in a car accident on the Rehoboth-Kalkrand road. It is reported that a pick-up and a small car collided head-on and both vehicles caught fire upon impact.

Fitch revises outlook on Namibia to negative

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Fitch revises outlook on Namibia to negative Fitch revises outlook on Namibia to negative
Namibia’s economic outlook has been downgraded by international
ratings agency Fitch from stable to negative. The country’s budget
deficit widened sharply to 8.3% of GDP and is well above the
government’s 5% target and the worst on record. The overshoot in the
deficit is due to weaker than expected revenue. Fitch, however,
predicts that things could turn around soon.
-Enca

US lobby takes on ‘detrimental info-comm’ policies

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US lobby takes on ‘detrimental info-comm’ policiesUS lobby takes on ‘detrimental info-comm’ policies Many economies, including China, pursue policies on national security grounds that may hit the free flow of trade and investment in information and communications technology (ICT), the US Chamber of Commerce said in a report.
In deciding national security risks, governments often look to the potential for cyber espionage or sabotage by foreign governments, according to the report, issued ahead of the G20 summit of world leaders this weekend.
Though such concerns are not unfounded, the policies, laws and regulations being considered create a competitive advantage for indigenous companies in the ICT sector and push out foreign competition, and that will come at a cost, the chamber said.
China, Russia, India, Brazil, Europe and also the United States were examined in the report.
Taking China as a case study, a decision to purge foreign ICT product and service providers from the market would lead to an annual cut in China’s gross domestic product anywhere from 1.77% to 3.44%, or at least US$200 billion (N$2.9 trillion) based on 2015 GDP, according to the report.
By 2025, this would equate to a reduction in China’s GDP of nearly US$3 trillion annually, the chamber said, citing an analysis by US-based research firm the Rhodium Group.
More than 40 global business groups last month petitioned China’s Premier Li Keqiang, according to a copy of a letter seen by Reuters, urging Beijing to revise draft cyber rules they say are vague and discriminate against foreign enterprises.
China has said its pending cyber security law will not create obstacles and barriers for international trade and foreign businesses investing in China.
Foreign firms fear they will be required to make products in China or use source code released to inspectors, forcing them to expose intellectual property.
Asked about the report by the US Chamber of Commerce, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the facts show foreign investors continue to view China well and are increasing their investments.
“We hope the relevant side, when issuing such reports or opinions, can more objectively and fairly comment, seeking truth from the facts, on China’s development and investment environment,” she told a daily news briefing in Beijing on Friday.

NAMPA/REUTERS
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