Namibian Sun

A passionate and motivated mother Bernadette Bock is a newly appointed director of Unam (University of Namibia) “I chose my career path based on the need to make a difference and to have a positive impact on people’s lives” -Bernadette Bock

Desiree Gases

Born at Rehoboth, Bernadette Bock spent most of her secondary school years at Concordia College, but then completed Grade 12 at Centaurus High School. An alumnus of Unam where she completed a Bachelor of Economics degree, Bock spent eight years in Germany completing a Masters in Cooperative Economics at the Phillips University of Marburg, after which she worked for an international biodiversity research project, based at the same university, focusing on the impacts of political incentives on natural resource use. Bock gained professional experience in technical and leadership positions overseeing strategic planning.

She has been a director of the University of Namibia for less than a month now. Raising philanthropic funds in a financially suppressed economy will be challenging, she says. It will call for innovation, creativity and perseverance. But she is up for the challenge.

“I chose my career path based on the need to make a difference and to have a positive impact on people’s lives. So, I have always worked in positions where I could develop and implement programmes to strengthen the resilience levels of vulnerable communities, and in that way, making my small contribution to the socio-economic development of Namibia. I also have bit of research experience and saw the role at the Foundation as an opportunity to combine my various skillsets for the promotion of higher education in the country,” she says.

For Bock, success in this position would be linked to the total funds raised in support of Unam’s objectives. Also, a good track record of managing mobilised resources prudently and in accordance with good corporate governance procedures and systems. Trust, transparency and accountability are crucial values to be maintained in this position.

For Bock, being able to complete a master’s course in the German language, after only having it as a third language in high school, was an accomplishment she will always be very proud of. Setting the Namibia Red Cross Society back on the road to recovery within a very short period of time is one of major achievements to date.

Bock adds: “I always seem to attract positions where I need to either set up systems and processes from scratch or where there is need to overhaul what is already in place. I have over the years successfully developed and administrated various grant fund mechanisms linked with international development agencies, while I was also able to improve community support structures of private sector as well as non-governmental organisations. I always enjoy seeing the results of my work and get motivated by it to push harder.”

When Bock is not at work, she loves spending time with friends and family and she has a three-year-old, very energetic son. For the future Bock just wants to focus on transforming the Foundation to reach its targets. She also wants to spend a lot more time with her son as he is growing up much too fast.

“Apart from developing technical skills and experience in your chosen field, also prioritise building yourself a good reputation based on excellent personal and professional ethics. Good ethics will never go out of fashion and no one can take them away from you,” Bock advises young people.

1 PHOTO (CONTRIBUTED)

CAPTION: Bernadette Bock, new director of Unam.

Climbing up the success ladder The acting director of marketing and communications Johannes Haufiku talks about how his passionate nature helped him work his way up at the University of Namibia. “I love learning new things, finding challenging truths that unsettle my beliefs, thoughts and even dreams.” -Johannes Haufiku

Desiree Gases

Haufiku was born and raised in Kuisebmond, Walvis Bay. He is now the acting director of communications and marketing at the University of Namibia.

He leads a team of talented creatives in the areas of marketing, public relations, visual design and stakeholder relationship building.

“I start most days with a morning meeting with at least one or more members of the Unam executive management team around 07:45. Then I proofread information that is outbound to the media or stakeholders such as government. Thereafter, I get a report from interns on what is trending on social media and see if action is required. I would then watch a bit of global news while skimming the local news and having some tea. I would then be able to check in with my team around 11:00, see what deadlines are around the corner. I always schedule my interviews with the media for noon. I do a lot of admin work in the afternoon. The day typically starts early and ends late.”

Haufiku speaks about his department’s biggest accomplishment, which has been helping Unam adapt to digital platforms for its corporate communication and marketing functions. He was appointed just before the emergence of Covid-19, so a lot of the challenges his team faced came in a form that was unexpected and disruptive, bringing changes to their processes. Convincing colleagues to explore new solutions to old and emerging problems was therefore the biggest challenge.

Haufiku says: “I love learning new things, finding challenging truths that unsettle my beliefs, thoughts and even dreams. That’s why working at a university is dream career because my mental faculties are constantly challenged.”

He plans to tick off a few more boxes at Unam, things he is passionate about and that he really wants students to experience when they come to the largest university in Namibia. Haufiku also plans on studying further in a different area, and venture into more challenging tasks, wherever they may be.

One of the best parts about Haufiku’s life was being raised by his grandmother with an iron fist. Even though he hated it at the time he now knows that love does not always need to be wrapped in a smile and hugs.

If he had the opportunity to change anything in the world, Haufiku says, “I would change the mind-set of Africans, so that they can stop seeing each other along tribal or national lines. I think this would allow them to work together and restore the dignity of the continent.”

1 PHOTO (CONTRIBUTED)

CAPTION: Acting director of marketing and communications at Unam.

From humble beginnings Oldest of four, Lorraine Gaoses was raised in Tsumeb and is now a big town environmental engineer. “I do aspire to one day be able to impart the knowledge I have accumulated in my field of expertise with aspiring environmental engineers.” Lorraine Gaoses

Desiree Gases

Gaoses attended Opawa Primary School as well as Martin Luther High School at Okombahe, where she later matriculated. Thereafter, she obtained a BSc in Chemistry with honours at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She then started her first job in 1999 at Unam as a chemistry tutor and towards the end of the same year started at the City of Windhoek as an industrial pollution control officer.

Three years later, at the age of 25, Gaoses had this extraordinary sense of maturity that informed her of exactly what she wanted in life. she knew then that she needed to improve on her career in the environment field, so Gaoses went on to study at the University of Witwatersrand for a graduate diploma in civil engineering, which was more focused on environmental engineering. At the age of 32, she graduated with a master’s degree in development finance from the University of Stellenbosch. Her thesis focused on environmental economics and finance. Gaoses is married with three children, two girls and a boy.

“As the current section head of environmental engineering, our team aspires to work with industry and Windhoek residents in preventing pollutants from entering our wastewater,” she says.

Windhoek has a unique set-up that the treated domestic wastewater forms part of the water supply. Thus, their primary goal has been the protection of wastewater as a water supply source.

“A typical day at the office entails effectively working our way through the weekly plan, responding to queries, conducting inspections of suspected pollution incidents, advising industries on wastewater handling just to ensure that we do not pick up any chemicals or foreign substances in our wastewater that will upset our treatment plants. Apart from monitoring different potential pollution activities, we also spend some time looking at our own facilities, such as the landfill, the wastewater treatments plants to make sure that we also do not pollute our own City.

“While I have enjoyed this position, this job is not without challenges. One of these challenges we constantly face is showing the residents that the City has made strides and continues to improve on the pollution prevention front as well as ensuring that industries comply with the environmental standards.

“That being said, breakthroughs have been plentiful in this profession, particularly whenever we have been able to see industries reform their internal policies and make conscious decisions to install wastewater treatment plants to reduce pollution at source. Seeing these advancements inspire me to continue working in this field,” said Gaoses.

She adds “I am also inspired to see young people entering this field with so much vigour to make a difference in the how we treat the environment. They are constantly taking initiatives to make the changes they want to see rather than remaining complacent. This is something I would encourage the next generation to continue doing- constantly working towards your goals and remaining not only confident in your ability to make a difference but also staying positive is what I believe, everyone should do. If there were something she would change, is the mindset of individuals to be positive. I do aspire to one day be able to impart the knowledge I have accumulated in my field of expertise with aspiring environmental engineers and perhaps work towards a PhD”.

Teaching has always been a passion of hers, primarily in efforts to create effective methods for students who are not neurotypical to still have all the opportunities to obtain the same knowledge their counterparts have. This is a skill she has not been naturally blessed with, nonetheless she believes it is a skill that should be developed, and Gaoses admires people who do this work. All these ambitions can only be accomplished if she truly remains fearless.

“Over the years, as my faith has deepened and strengthened, I have learnt that fear is often insignificant as God is constantly with me in every situation; any fear we have is simply there to hold us back and we need rise beyond that.”

KSB commits further investment into Namibia

The newly appointed managing director of KSB Pumps and Valves (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd, DeWet Van Wyk will head-up the recently established KSB Pumps and Valves Namibia, a company formed out of a long history of service to Namibia's people by one of the world's leading pump manufacturers KSB.

The evolution from a sales office of the South African operation to a fully-fledged company comes at a time when soaring demand for pumps and services necessitates a move to bigger premises with a fully stocked distribution warehouse, service and repair facilities in order to meet future growth requirements.

Van Wyk, who is a veteran of the Namibian pumping industry, has been involved in many pumping projects around the country ranging from the procurement and installation of KSB pumps and valves at the country's major water utilities, to large-scale mining and agricultural projects, as well as a myriad of smaller projects that have commanded equal attention through the years. “We are fortunate that KSB has been one of the preferred pump suppliers in Namibia for decades and with our vast footprint in Namibia and the Namibian government pushing for more local content the decision was made to establish a fully-fledged Namibian company. “Situated in the Northern Industrial area of Windhoek, the company's new premises consist of nine offices, two boardrooms, reception and fully equipped workshop area. The office block is 370m², while the workshop adds a further 420m² to the facility. The workshop has 2 big roller doors for deliveries and collections that makes access in and out easy. The location has easy access to the highway and we are fortunate that most of our key customers and suppliers are in the same area,” says Van Wyk.

Growing strong

The history of success has been contributed largely by Klaus Streit and that of KSB operating in Namibia for more than 31 years teaming up with Fenner in 1990 and Hydroweld two years later when Fenner changed its strategy and necessitated the move.

The move to Hydroweld gave the team the room and resources to greatly expand operations in Namibia and laid the path for future business while building long-lasting relationships with the people of Namibia.

This growing success led to the operation becoming a KSB Sales Office for KSB Pumps and Valves South Africa in 2014 and effectively laid the foundation for the establishment of the new business.

“The opening of the doors of the new business and new premises on 1 January 2021 marks a new milestone for KSB Pumps and Valves Namibia to grow and expand our business to all corners of the country,” concludes Van Wyk.

STAFF REPORTER

AfDB approves N$1.5 billion loanPrioritising development funding Transforming key sectors such as agriculture and industry, and improve economic and social inclusion. It will help to create fiscal space to finance critical development spending, implement reforms that will help maintain macroeconomic stability. Tonateni Shidhudhu, Spokesperson: Ministry of Finance

The loan of N$1.5 billion which is payable for the period of 15 years was approved by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support governance and economic recovery in Namibia.

According to Tonateni Shidhudhu, spokesperson of the ministry of finance, the request was unanimously approved by the board of directors of the AfDB on 17 March 2021 to the tune of US$100.27 (N$1.5 billion).

The approval follows the completion of the Economic Governance and Competitiveness Support Programme (2017-2020) which has achieved significant results in the area of fiscal consolidation, public financial management and improvement in the business environment. However, the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to revers some of those gains, he said.

“As the country prepares for the post-pandemic era, the government is pursuing reforms in a wide range of areas. The proposed Government Economic Recovery Support Programme (GERSP) operation is designated to support the government's response and help to achieve inclusive post-pandemic economic recovery through improved governance and real sector reforms,” he added.

The three main areas of focus are fiscal sustainability, private sector-led agriculture and industrial sector transformation, and economic and social inclusion.

“It will help to create fiscal space to finance critical development spending, implement reforms that will help maintain macro-economic stability, transform key sectors such as agriculture and industry, and improve economic and social inclusion,” he said.

Finance Minister Ipumbu Shiimi said the approval of the fund comes at an appropriate time as we start the process of building back the economy and implementing the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP2) with the view of achieving sustainable and inclusive transformation.

Bringing people together through buying and selling Pull quote: Being your own boss requires a certain level of discipline, which is a challenge I love waking up to every day. Yes, I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur because of my desire to serve people.

Wetumwene Shikage

We facilitate the buying and selling of mainly second-hand goods for individuals or organisations. We also market local businesses using our online platforms that have a wide reach in local business and private platforms. We offer these services on our live website: e-sellnamibia.com, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook pages.

Inspiration to start the business came as the two founders saw the need to make buying and selling of second-hand goods safe and efficient in Namibia. They desire to make it easier for people to have access to goods and services at an affordable price.

Every business requires uniqueness in order to stand out. The co-founders assured that with E-Sell, you will get your money's worth and time efficiency.

“One of the benefits of buying products through us is that we provide warranty and proof of ownership on every item our clients buy or sell using our platform,” said Quisseque.

Trying to juggle their ambitions along with family responsibilities and their religious commitments continue to be part of their daily challenges. “We are still overcoming this every day by aligning our priorities and devoting the most time to what matters most,” said Quisseque.

One of the business philosophies the founders of E-Sell follow is that they do not engage in any transactions which do not benefit all parties involved, adding that expectations lead to disappointments.

Entering this industry requires one to be ready to serve and not only be ready to sell. The industry needs passion for the work as well as a serving mentality. Their services connect people and working with people requires one to have a growth mindset.

As a start-up it is almost impossible to operate in an isolated sphere. Many want to achieve great things birthed from great ideas, however in the growing Namibian economy there is a need now more than ever to work together. Networking creates opportunities for growth. It may be in gaining new clients or perhaps in building stronger relationships with suppliers to ensure a lasting and healthy relationship. Trust, inspiration, exposures, interactions, and pre-qualified referrals that you get through networking are special resources that can't be found anywhere else.

E-Sell contributes to society by bringing people together through buying and selling and minimising theft and scams. They have in many cases partnered with other start-ups as a sign that they welcome innovative ideas and use their platforms to promote local products and businesses.

Start-ups in Namibia, and all over the world, are facing an unprecedented crisis in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. Day-to-day operations have been adjusted to be in line with the regulations set up by the government to ensure no further spread of the virus. Because of the nature of their business, it has been an easy transition into the “new normal”, putting themselves in the forefront of any transactions and ensuring that both the seller and buyer do not have any forms of physical interaction unless deemed fit and really necessary.

Email: admin@esellnamibia.com

A happy salesperson

Wetumwene Shikage

Martha Swartbooi was born in the Okahandja district on a small and marginalised farm. She lost her mother at a young age and was then forced to be independent and to stand on her own two feet.

As on orphan, she moved around from one town to another, from one school to another. Martha did not have any parents or anyone to support her financially. This resulted in her leaving school and thereafter started looking for any job that could help her become financially able.

“I started working for a retail shop as a cashier later at customer care. After that, I came to Pupkewitz and I have been here ever since and I am so happy. I started working for Pupkewitz Megabuild in 2004 as a cashier, and four years later they promoted me as a saleslady,” she said.

Swartbooi says her main duties include assisting customers with their needs. Her everyday work is based on customer service face to face as well as through emails and phone. “I do quotations, I follow up with the customers and I attend to the daily orders of my clients. I need to make sure that my customers receive their quotations correct and on time,” she says.

Swartbooi says she loves the daily interaction with the clients and satisfying their needs. “It warms my heart to make everything easier for my clients. I love to see them smile and be happy.”

Her biggest achievement as a full-time working mother is putting all her children through school. She has four children, now aged 32, 28, 26 and 25, and she is proud of them all and wants all of them to graduate from university.

One of her dreams is to have a house to call her own. As a single mother, her message to Namibian women is to be leaders and change-makers because this is no longer only a man's world. “Make the best of it. In whatever situation you are, be strong don’t give up easily. I also believe that we as women should stand together as we lead our nation to success,” she says.

Making the best of every step Reliance Biwa is an account manager at Weathermen & Co Having an innate need to effect positive change wherever she goes allows for good progression.

Wetumwene Shikage

Biwa has found a way to flourish in the field of marketing and advertising. She was born at Mariental and raised at Vaalgras. She left the nest to study marketing in South Africa and upon returning to her home country, first put her marketing skills to use in the engineering and banking sectors. Thereafter, she joined her first advertising agency, Adforce, in 2014 as account executive and later, senior account executive, before taking up her current position at Weathermen & Co in 2018.

In the Weathermen team, Biwa is responsible for managing clients’ portfolios and all things brand-related. A typical day for her – if such a thing exists – may include receiving a brief, getting to the heart of it and brainstorming with the studio creatives who go off to execute the resulting concept. Thereafter, Biwa presents the work to clients and ensures everything is in order at the costing and billings end.

Biwa’s greatest motivator is the knowledge that her team is always working towards providing solution-driven campaigns.

“We want to deliver meaningful solutions to our clients, audiences and other end-users. The most gratifying part of my job is seeing a client reach or exceed their key performance indicators (KPIs), because it means the agency understood the client’s brand and the market need, and successfully tailored the message to suit the right channels. Being behind a successful final product fills me with pride and makes me feel like I am contributing to something that will, in turn, contribute to the betterment of our communities.”

In addition to the opportunities her job affords her to make meaningful differences in society, Biwa has found the opportunities for personal growth to be equally as astounding. Biwa: “It is unbelievable how much and how quickly you develop and grow on the job. I’ve found that I can sometimes be a completely different person to who I was, say, just two weeks earlier.”

However, for Biwa, the growth does not stop at work. She is on her way to completing her master’s degree this year and hopes to put every bit of it into practice and share her knowledge with the industry. For anyone looking to advance in their chosen field, Biwa cannot overstate the importance of continuously investing in oneself.

“There are many ways to hone your skills and feed your passions which need not be limited to higher education. A good mentor, for example, is one of the best things to have on your side. There is also an abundance of online resources which can give you an edge in the market. Your first steps, though, should be investing the time to discover what your passion truly is, and then finding the right tribe to support you on your path to chasing it.”

Africa to play key role in India's oil industryIndia imports over 80% of its oil Africa's share of India's oil imports is about 15%, or about 34 million tonnes of oil last year. We would naturally be seeking commercial partners in Africa to meet India's growing energy needs. Dharmendra Pradhan, Oil Minister: India

NIDHI VERMA

African nations could play a central role in efforts by India to diversify its sources of oil and gas, India's oil minister said on Wednesday, as the nation strives to reduce its energy reliance on the Middle East.

India, the world's third biggest oil importer, has asked state refiners to speed up the diversification of oil imports to gradually cut their dependence on the Middle East after OPEC decided earlier this month to largely continue production cuts in April.

"As India seeks to further diversify sourcing of crude oil and LNG, Africa has a central role - largely due to its proximity and absence of any choke points in trans-shipments," Dharmendra Pradhan told an industry summit.

India imports over 80% of its oil and has a huge oil import bill.

Africa's share of India's oil imports is about 15%, or about 34 million tonnes of oil last year, Pradhan said. India's imports of gas from Africa are also gradually increasing.

India traditionally buys oil from Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, Egypt and Equatorial Guinea. In recent years it has bought oil from Cameroon, Chad, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire also, Pradhan said.

"Therefore, we would naturally be seeking commercial partners in Africa to meet India's growing energy needs through imports of crude oil, LNG and other petroleum and energy products".

State-run Indian companies have invested US$8 billion in oil and gas assets in various African nations.

India, the third largest refiner in the world, is a major exporter of refined fuels.

Africa is the second-largest destination for Indian refined fuels, Pradhan said, adding rising demand for technology, fuels, skills and investment in some African nations offers India opportunities for equity investment and two-way tie-ups. - Nampa/Reuters

MTN donates vaccines to 9 African countries

The first 723 000 of up to 7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses that MTN Group is donating to African countries have arrived in nine nations, the African Union's disease control body said yesterday.

Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong told a news conference that Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritius and Togo had received doses from the South African telecoms company.

Several other countries, including South Sudan and Malawi, are due to receive doses in the coming days.

MTN is donating US$25 million to support the African Union vaccination programme. The doses will be distributed to health workers across the bloc's 55 member states, MTN said this week.

African countries have begun vaccinating their citizens only in recent weeks after richer countries secured early supplies.

Africa is relying primarily on free doses from the World Health Organization-backed COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, which aims to secure 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021.- Nampa/Reuters

Building self-confidence through self-awareness Self-management is the second pillar of emotional intelligence, as described by Daniel Goleman. Following his theory, to be able to manage ourselves successfully, we need to be self-aware of our emotions and be able to self-manage them.

It is a competency that is composed by the following abilities: self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, achievement orientation and initiative. In this article, we will explore how the emotional abilities of self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness can impact different careers.

Self-Control

We cannot control what we do not know, so the first step in having emotional self-control is to recognise our emotions and how they manifest in us. In general, they are easy to recognise and shared in different cultures, but each person experiences them in a unique way due to the individual’s experience and values. With certain emotions, we will notice how our heart rate accelerates, or we feel hot or cold, for example. These feelings could support us in identifying our emotions. The next step is to explore what causes the emotion we want to control.

Trustworthiness

In this instance, trustworthiness refers to the likelihood of undesirable events, which defines people's predisposition to engage in a trusting relationship with a person or object while assuming the perceived risks. Reliability leads us to the idea of statistical probability. For example, people feel safe when traveling by plane because they can infer, from the information they have, the low probability of the risk of accidents.

Trust, on the other hand, refers to a concrete action. Taking risks on the behaviour of the other party based on a positive expectation of reciprocity. When one person decides to trust another -based on the specific contextual situation that can lead the other person whom one trusts to honour this investment of trust.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is one of the five personality traits of the so called ‘Big Five’ traits in the personality theory (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism) that is used in HR to support people decisions. A person scoring high in conscientiousness in a personality test, for example, usually has a high level of self-discipline, they are methodical and highly perseverant.

However, in the study of Positive Psychology, conscientiousness also means becoming more self-aware. By being more in tune with your thoughts, feelings and emotions, you can expand your perception of reality. Raising your awareness involves stretching your mind beyond your comfort zone to enter a deeper sense of understanding.

Being fully present, aware and attentive to the current moment, leaving the state of distraction, is a state of mind that is called "mindfulness". Explained in other words it is described as the "mental state reached when focusing on the present moment, while calmly recognizing and accepting your feelings, thoughts and physical sensations".

www.hrexchangenetwork.com/hr-talent-management/columns/self-management-and-its-impact-in-leadership

Service delivery above everything elseProviding medical care is a fundamental necessity in Namibia Nelson Makemba is a medical doctor who has his own practice.

Wetumwene Shikage

Since May 2015, Makemba has run his medical practice with the primary aim of assisting those who require medical help. The responsibility of general practitioners is to assist in the ongoing health of their patients by preventing, diagnosing and managing common health conditions. An important aspect of their work is making referrals to specialists as needed in special cases.

Being a doctor is a challenging career, and running a private practice even more so.

Makemba describes the experience as critical but also rewarding. “It brings joy to my heart being part of the healing process of so many patients.”

He employs six assistants.

Nesha Medical Practice is built on is service delivery above everything else. When asked how he would describe his experience thus far, he mentioned that it is excellent. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he said.

Just as any other career, the medical world has its own challenges. “Limited infrastructure has always limited our ability to diversify our service and hence the decision to scale up and acquire a bigger office,” he said.

On the other hand, achievements and accomplishments keep the team motivated. “Setting up the practice to start with, that has been a major step. Community involvement, particularly information dissemination through television, radio and social media platforms, has been a major impact,” he explained.

The service-driven doctor has goals for his practice which include becoming the best at what they do and rendering services to the best of their abilities.

“Putting a smile on my client’s faces and seeing them return telling me that they feel better is the most rewarding thing a doctor experiences,” he says.

A typical day starts early, either with ward rounds or in theatre, and then proceeds to the office where he sees his patients throughout the day.

Economic transformation through agri investment

PHILLEPUS UUSIKU

The agriculture sector contributed an average of 8.5% to the country's Gross domestic Product (GDP) over the period 1990 to 2019, with the highest growth of 25% registered in 1994.

The sector is also the largest employer with a share of 23% of the overall labour force.

According to the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank), the impressive growth rates over the years could be attributed to favourable climatic and economic conditions prevailing at the time as the sector did not experienced a double-digit increase in the last decade.

Agribank notes that the government has made significant strides in supporting the agriculture sector through its development capital budget.

Between the 1994/95 and 1998/99 financial years (FY), the government committed about N$407 million in development expenditure, while between 2014/2015 and 2018/2019 (FY), the sector attracted a development expenditure of N$1.3 billion.

The highest overall development budget allocation the sector ever received was in the 2016/17 (FY), reaching a peak of 22%.

Agriculture development budget expenditures have been largely marked by investment in infrastructure for water supply, irrigation, animal health & disease control as well as market infrastructure, Agribank said.

Private sector

Despite the inconsistent trend in development budget allocations, fiscal commitment to the sector reflects that government spending continues to shape Namibia's agriculture policy programs to support development of the sector and economic growth at large, Agribank added.

Although government spending is necessary for growth, escalating debt has become a concern due to emerging and existing socio-economic challenges. “This suggests that development budget allocations to economic sectors such as agriculture are likely to witness a decline. Therefore, there is a need to encourage and incentivise private sector investment to ensure sustainable sector growth,” Agribank pointed out.

Despite decades of public and private investment in the sector, growth in agriculture continues to dwindle and remains below expectations. Harsh climatic conditions remain a major threat to the sector.

Additional investments in the agriculture sector remain necessary to increase agricultural production and productivity, specifically focusing on technological change and climate resilient production techniques, Agribank said.

Rates, Covid hit SBN’s profitInterest income down N$158 mln At the end of 2020, SBN Holdings’ assets totalled about N$33.08 billion, some N$2 billion less than the end of 2019.

Jo-Maré Duddy – Historically low interest rates, combined with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, eroded SBN Holdings’ income for the year ended 31 December 2021 and the locally-listed group reported a profit after taxation of nearly N$421.2 million – a drop of about N$192.3 million or 31.3% compared to its previous book-year.

Releasing its annual results, SBN Holdings – with Standard Bank Namibia as its flagship brand – said a decline of 11.9% year-on-year (y/y) in its net interest income was the biggest contributor to the fall in profit. During the year under review, the prime interest rate in Namibia decreased by 275 basis points.

SBN Holdings earned nearly N$1.18 billion from its net interest income in 2020, some N$158 million less than 2019.

The group said despite the hard lock-down enforced across the country during April and May 2020, as well as other restrictions during the year, non-interest revenue declined by only 5.6%. At around N$1.19 billion, non-interest revenue was about N$70 million less y/y.

SBN Holdings’ operational expenditure increased by 1% to N$1.5 billion.

“This, together with the hefty decline in total income, saw the group’s cost-to income ratio deteriorate from 57.3% to 63.5%. Management attributes the change in operational expenditure to a 7.3% decrease in staff costs coupled with above-inflation IT cost increases,” Cirrus Securities commented.

CREDIT RISK

SBN Holdings provided for credit impairments of about N$253.9 million in 2020, up 6.2% y/y. Commenting on the results, IJG Securities said when normalised for the impairment of one large client in the 2019 financial year, credit impairments for 2020 increased by 48.9% or N$83 million y/y.

According to SBN Holdings, non-performing loans (NPLs) as a percentage of total loans increased at a “manageable” rate to 7.8%. Excluding one large client, the rate increased to 5.3%.

“The difficult macro-economic conditions, worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, have had an impact on the credit environment, particularly on clients in the tourism, accommodation, commercial real estate and SME sectors,” the group said, adding: “We have continued to follow a cautious risk appetite.”

According to Cirrus, SBN Holdings remains the listed bank with the highest credit risk, evidenced by the increase in impairments and NPLs.

Commenting on the pandemic, SBN Holdings said: “It was imperative that the bank did everything possible to keep the lives and businesses of clients going by providing support and relief to clients impacted by Covid-19. More than 97% of all applications received have been approved, amounting to outstanding capital relief of N$1.7 billion to more than 2 000 clients.”

LOANS, DEPOSITS

IJG pointed out that SBN Holdings’ total assets declined by 6.1% y/y as loans and advances to customers declined by 3.2% y/y to N$22.07 billion, while placements at other banks declined by 21.2% y/y to N$2.23 billion.

At the end of 2020, the group’s assets totalled about N$33.08 billion, some N$2 billion less than the end of 2019.

Cirrus commented that not extending credit in the current heightened credit risk environment is a prudent approach by management.

However, the analysts added: “Worryingly, total deposits also decreased 6.3% to N$26.1 billion. The decreased deposits coupled with the net repayment of advances resulted in SBN Holdings’ loan-to-deposit (LTD) ratio increasing from 92% to 93%.”

OUTLOOK

SBN Holdings declared an ordinary dividend of 14c per share compared to 27.37c in 2019.

IJG said the group’s results should be viewed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the resultant lockdowns and the radical reduction in interest rates. “However, the company’s results were below IJG’s expectations, largely due to top line missing our estimates,” the analysts added.

According to Cirrus, the results are not unexpected, as this includes a nine month period which include the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent regulations. “The 31.3% decrease in profit after tax, however, creates a low base for the 2021 financial year,” they said.

SBN Holdings said the Covid-19 pandemic is “ever evolving which requires ongoing review of the impact on our operations, clients and business plans”. “We will continuously assess the impact of Covid-19 on product and sector risk appetites, particularly home loans and commercial real estates, and implement measures to minimise credit losses,” the group added.

SBN Holdings is listed on the Local Index of the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX). It closed at N$7.98 per share on Wednesday. The share price has gained nearly 15.7% since the end of last year.

Both Cirrus and IJG currently have a “sell” recommendation on SBN Holdings.

NFA house of confusion• Cosmos says football will start on 17 April Namibia Football Association (NFA) president Ranga Haikali's wish to have the league postponed to August fell on deaf ears after the NFA executive voted for the season to start on 17 April.

JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA

WINDHOEK

The Namibia Football Association executive committee has resolved to start the football calendar on 17 April on a transitional league format.

This is alleged to be against the decision that was initially suggested by the NFA president Ranga Haikali.

The remarks on the NFA website were however rebuffed by NFA secretary-general Franco Cosmos and those who are in support of the league starting on 17 April.

“All the leagues and MTC NFA cup preliminary rounds will kick off on 17 April 2021.

“All 12 second-division and the three first-divisions streams will play preliminary rounds on 17 April 2021 to determine the round of 32 for the MTC NFA Cup.

“The NPFL will kick off on 17 April 2021 and the other leagues will follow,” Cosmos said.

Namibian Sun is also in possession of a communication between members which states the official league, which includes promotions and relegation, will start in August to synchronise with the rest of the world.

The current transitional league will consist of 12 teams that will be divided into two groups of six each in the first phase followed by a second phase which provide three groups of four teams.

“After the completion of phase two, the log standings will be determined. No promotion and relegation during this time till 31 July.”

Haikali under pressure

Sources in the NFA structures claim that the decision to start the league led to confusion after Haikali stated on the NFA website that the Namibia Football Premier League would start in August.

“The NFA Cup will help us transit to a new well-set season of football that will start in August and therefore it is important that we do things in a certain way to achieve the objective of well-prepared leagues,” Haikali told the NFA media.

Haikali added that the transition would also help the NFA to fully implement the E-Connect system of player registration.

“Once we have this system in place and everyone understands it, then we can go take on a full season. The timeframes are now realistic and we are confident we can achieve the target.”

The NFA media further announced that the executive committee meeting held this weekend confirmed that the clubs from the Namibia Football Premier League (NFPL), the three first divisions and the 14 second divisions will be involved in the MTC NFA Cup as they prepare for league football set to commence in August 2021.

A source within the NFA committee alleges that the NFA president had initially wanted the league to be postponed but he was overpowered by the majority of the NFA executive. “This is why the first press release was wrong because the NFA president went on to give inaccurate information.

“No one is stronger or bigger than the NFA executive committee and their decision is final.”

NFA president Ranga Hailkali could not be reached for comment.

Rookies steer New Zealand to success• Bangladesh ODI series Conway blasted 126 from 110 balls and Mitchell finished on 100 not out after New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, making 318 for six.

NAMPA/AFP

Maiden centuries for Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell set up a crushing 164-run win for New Zealand in the third one-day international in Wellington on Friday, giving the hosts a series clean sweep.

Bangladesh were never in the hunt for the 319 target, all out for 154 after 42.4 overs, with Mahmudullah's unbeaten 76 the only highlight as eight batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Jimmy Neesham and Matt Henry did the damage for New Zealand with the ball, taking five for 27 and four for 27 respectively.

Paceman Rubel Hossain was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers, with three for 70, but the tourists' attack struggled on a green Basin Reserve wicket.

Conway capitalised on the tourists' woes and his century was just reward for the South Africa-born batsman, who has been in outstanding form since he was first selected for the Blacks Caps late last year.

His performances include 72 in the second Bangladesh ODI and an unbeaten 99 when he was left stranded in a Twenty20 match against Australia last month.

Mitchell looked like he would suffer a similar fate in Wellington before scrambling home to bring up his century on the last ball of the innings as wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim tried to stump him.

Both Conway and Mitchell were making only their third ODI appearances for New Zealand after debuting in the series opener against Bangladesh in Dunedin last week.

New Zealand were looking shaky before their arrival after losing three wickets within 13 balls to slump to 57 for three.

Tom Latham and Conway consolidated with a 63-run partnership before the New Zealand skipper departed for 18.

Epangelo lyaNamibia lya palutha aakwashigwa yaAngola Epangelo lyaNamibia olya tomo ongombe nokudhipagela iikombo aakwashigwana yaAngola mboka ya taaguluka oongamba nokuya moshitopolwa shaMusati omolwa ondjala.

TUYEIMO HAIDULA NATUNOHOLE MUNGOBA

ETUNDA

Epangelo lyaNamibia olya pula woo epangelo lyaAngola kutya otali kongo oompangela dhi li ngiini opo li vule okuhupitha aakwashigwana yawo mboka taya yi ontuku okuza moshilongo shaandjawo omolwa ondjala. Ngoloneya gwoshitopolwa shaMusati, Erginus Endjala okwa koleke ngaaka koshifokundaneki shoNamibia Sun sho a pulwa kutya omalongekidho geli ngiini guulethimbo ngoka taga ningwa okugandja ekwatho kaakwashigwana mboka yaAngola.

Okwa popi kutya omiyalu dhopambelewa otashi ulike kutya aakwashigwana yaAngola ye li po 744 oya thiki moshitopolwa shaMusati nomwaalu guli pombanda natango ogwa tegelelwa, unene konima sho onkundana ya thiki momikunda dhawo kutya yakwawo mboka ya taaguluka oongamba dhaNamibia otaya pewa iipalutha.

Konyala aakwashigwana mboka ya thika pe 100 oya falwa koshikunino shEtunda hoka taya pewa iipalutha kepangelo aluhe konima yomasiku gaali.

Iikulya mbyoka tayi pewa aakwashigwana mboka ongaashi uusila wepungu, oohi dhomoondooha oshowo oomboga.

Ongundu yaakwashigwana yaAngola mboka oye li momuti mEtunda nonando oshitopolwa shoka osha mono omuloka omwaanawa uule wiiwike ya piti. Pethimbo aatoolinkundana yoNamibia Media Holdings ya thiki pehala mpoka oya adha ongundu ndjoka ya aneka omakumbatha gawo omolwa omuloka omunene ngoka gwa loko ongulohi yEtiyali.

“Otwa tondokele metala moka hamu kwatelwa openzela. Oli na owala iipeleki pombanda onkene omeya otage ya natango okuzilila koombinga dhihe,” gumwe gwomuyo a popi.

Okuya mEtitano mboka ya li pehala mpoka aakiintu owala nuunona, aalumentu oya ya pomidhingoloko dhopopepi taya kongo oondya.

Endjala pamwe nomukalelipo gwaAngola moNamibia,

Jevelina Costa oya talelepo ongundu ndjoka nokonima yetalelepo ndyoka epangelo lyaNamibia olya tokola okuyambidhidha aakwashigwana mboka noondya omanga ya tegelela omayamukulo okuza kepangelo lyaAngola.

Ongundu ndjoka ohayi pewa omeya gokunwa kaasihenda molwaashoka kape na opomba mpoka ye li nuuna yahala okwiikwathela ohaya yi piihwa yopopepi.

Aakwashigwana oyendji yaAngola okwa lopotwa taya thiki woo moshitopolwa shaHangwena kehe esiku omolwa ondjala. Aakwashigwana yomuumbugantu waAngola oya kala ya taalela ondjala uule woomvula dha piti nepangelo lyaandjawo itali ya sile oshipwiyu.

Endjala okwa popi kutya omayamukulo okuza kepangelo lyaAngola oga pumbiwa molwaashoka aakwashigwana mboka otaya vulu okuthiminikwa konkalo opo ya longithwe iilonga itaya pewa oondjambi dhili nawa.

“Kehe shoka tatu ningi ngashiingeyi ekwatho owala lyopakathimbo omanga twa tegelele epangelo lyaandjawo li tulombwele kutya otali ka kwatha ngiini aantu yawo.”

Swapo okwa kanitha ondjila– Nahas

JEMIMA BEUKES

OVENDUKA

Ongundu tayi pangele oya kanitha ondjila nonkalo otayi pula aakokele yongundu ya ye pamwe nokuyi shuna mondjila omolwa epupi tali ya.

Dhoka odha popiwa kuNahas Angula ngoka a popi kutya shoka sha li sha tula kumwe ongundu ndjoka onkalonawa yaakwashigwana.

Omuprima minista nale Angula okwa popi ngaaka moonkundathana aningwa naye koNamibian Sun koprograma yedhina ' The Evening Review talk show'.

“Otwa ninga omapuko mpaka naaampeyaka ihe oshili ooshoka kutya Swapo gongashiingeyi okwa zi muunkundi wayamwe yomookomrade yetu. Otwa tameke tatu ningi ethigathano lyoonzo nokulongitha pambambo oonzo dhoshigwana. Otwa tamene tatu inkondopeke pehala lyokunkondopeka oshigwana,” Angula a popi.

Angula okwa popi kutya oshikumungu shoFishrot oshe ya onga ehalutho kuyamwe oshowo ominista nale yuuyuki, Sakeus Shanghala ngoka a kunkilile ongundu yiilundulule ke na omakankemeno gomondjila.

“Oyo ya teyapo oSwapo omolwa uufukedhi wawo. Aantu oya tameke taya pulidha sho Swapo ta popi uukumwe nuuyuki. Otwali pumbwa okuuva olukeno pamwe naathigona oshowo aanyasha kaaye na iilonga moshilongo, nopehala ookomrade yamwe oya longitha pambambo ompito ndjoka nokwiiyambapaleka.”

Sho a pulwa ngele ye otiipe nga ombedhi omolwa omukundu ngoka, minista nale okwa popi kutya eiwapaleko nokuzimina epuko osha pumbiwa.

“Eeno onda li melelo lyoSwapo ethimbo na otwiinekelathana nedhilaadhilo kutya atuhe otatu longo tu na elalakano limwe ewanawa. Omupya omunene yamwe oya gwile momamakelo nokwiiyambapaleka na oya ningi iinima mbyoka tse yamwe inatu dhilaadhila ngele otayi vulu okuningwa,” Angula a popi.

Mekuthombinga lye mokongresa yongundu ndjoka tayi landula, Angula okwa popi kutya otaka kwathela mokundungika oshigwana kombinga yomankankameno goSwapo.

“Eeno, Swapo okwa kanitha ondjila ihe mboka uupyaakadhi wonkalamwenyo. Otatu tala kutya otatu shuna ngiini mondjila onga ongundu. Ondiinekela otatu italulula nokutala kaashiinda yetu. Oyali ponkatu ndjoka tuli na oya ningi omawapaleko nokutungulula edhina lyoANC.”

Angula okwa popi woo kutya sho aafekelwa moFishrot taya ungaungiwa nayo kompango otashi vulu oku itaalitha AaNamibia kutya ha aakwaSwapo ayehe taya ningi uulingilingi.

jemima@namibiansun.com

Second State of Logistics Report launched• Building block The second report contains fact-based metrics and knowledge about the sector and logistics activities.

LEANDREA LOUW

WALVIS BAY

The annual Namibia State of Logistics Report for 2020 was launched in Walvis Bay on Thursday.

The first report was issued in 2018, serving as the benchmark for Namibian logistics activity.

The second report builds upon the work of the first report and includes a substantial section that investigates the impact of Covid-19 on the logistics sector.

Speaking at the launch, the deputy minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi, said Namibia had made great strides towards the development of transport infrastructure for the benefit of regional and international trade.

“This not only benefits the Namibian people, but also our neighbouring countries. Not only do we have good transport infrastructure at our disposal, we have a port with great potential to stimulate regional economic integration. The port of Walvis Bay is well equipped, reliable, safe, and efficient and is expanding rapidly. For the fifth consecutive year, Namibia has retained its position as the country with the best road network (number one) on the continent.”

Nekundi said the first report presented an overview of the economy during the past years, key trends of the logistics industry and the country's total logistics costs for the previous years. The report also laid out future and potential trends.

According to information contained in the first report, the logistics sector grew by an average of 16.1 % from 2007 to 2017.

The report also states that Namibia's logistics costs had declined 11.4% to stand at 15.6% in relation to GDP in 2017, having peaked at 17.6% in 2016 according to statistics provided by the Namibia Statistics Agency.

“This report is a crucial industry document as it provides fact-based metrics and knowledge about the sector and logistics activities which are essential to establish reliable benchmarks and advance a country's logistics performance. It allows the marketing, advertising and advancing of the logistics hub not only in the region, but internationally,” said the deputy minister.

Covid

According to the second report, prior to Covid, the industry was following Namibia's economic trajectory as measured by its GDP but was then hit by the pandemic.

“Like all other countries' industries, the logistics sector has suffered from reduced demand and been affected by delays as well as additional regulations but, although weakened, has survived.”

The minister lauded the logistics industry for its resilience.

“Essential supply chains have continued to operate, goods have been transported and delivered and trade has continued to take place, allowing businesses, communities and individuals to survive. All this was done under challenging circumstances, strict quarantine rules and more complicated border procedures.”

The work was commissioned by the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the report was skilfully prepared by the Namibian-German Centre for Logistics (NGCL), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).

New plan

Mbahupu Tjivikua, chief executive officer of the WBCG said that the process to develop the next strategic plan with positioning Namibia as the logistics hub being one of the strategic pillars, is on track.

“This is not only to the benefit of Namibia but to the hinterland and the world economy at large. Our neighbouring countries need us more than ever before. Our competitiveness in the global space will also be determined by our responsiveness to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Are we ready as a nation? Only the fittest will survive, therefore we need to adapt or die.”

Tjivikua said that most businesses now need to start operating around the clock. “We need to embrace a new culture. Our borders and the relevant agencies need to provide services on a 24-hour basis.

“We need to beef up our service levels and start playing in the big leagues with Singapore, China and Dubai amongst others. A serious paradigm shift is required in our sector.”

He added that the next State of Logistics Report will investigate aspects of capacity building and skills, development of key infrastructure along trade routes such as trucks stops, provision of wellness services, the roles of women and SMEs in the transport and logistics sector, road safety, transport security and trade facilitation, and the transformation from transport corridors to economic development corridors.