Van Rhyn Primary School claimed the under-13 football title at the 2026 City of Windhoek Mayoral Cup, defeating People's Primary School by a single goal in a gripping final at Bobby Sissing Sport Stadium.

Forty-two schools from across the Khomas region took part, making this one of the most competitive editions since the tournament launched in 2011.

Spanning football, netball, and volleyball, the cup gave young athletes across disciplines a chance to shine. St Barnabas Primary School dominated the netball final, routing Amazing Kids Private School 23-1, while DHPS lifted the girls' volleyball trophy and Christ Love won the boys' title.

The City of Windhoek rewarded top-three finishers with sports equipment - N$5 000 for first place, N$3 000 for second, and N$2 000 for third - a meaningful investment in youth development.

Mayor Sakarias Uunona reminded participants that the tournament exists to build discipline, teamwork, and healthy lifestyles - using sport as a powerful tool for community growth.

Namibia is set to make history by enshrining climate change action into binding law for the first time, with proposed amendments to the Environmental Management Act placing legal obligations on every government ministry to factor climate risks into planning.

The reforms would empower the environment minister to direct state institutions to mainstream climate considerations into strategic frameworks and annual work plans.

Until now, the country has relied solely on policy frameworks and voluntary commitments - with no legal mandate behind them.

The environmental commissioner would gain new authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, while international climate agreements Namibia signs must be domesticated into enforceable national law.

Beyond climate provisions, the bill streamlines environmental clearance processes and extends certificates from three to five years, with developers required to submit closure and restoration plans backed by financial bonds.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism aims to table the bill before the National Assembly in early 2027.

Windhoek residents are being urged to take water conservation seriously as forecasters warn of a drier-than-normal season ahead.

Meteorological services have flagged a higher probability of below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures - putting fresh pressure on the city's already stretched water supply.

The City of Windhoek relies heavily on three rain-fed dams - Swakoppoort, Von Bach, and Omatako - meaning a poor rainy season translates almost directly into a supply squeeze for residents.

Authorities are promoting daily water meter readings as one of the most practical steps households can take, offering an early warning against hidden leaks that can silently drain thousands of litres.

Residents are also advised to take shorter showers, avoid unnecessary tap use, and water gardens only during cooler parts of the day to reduce evaporation.

Scattered showers in the north-east should not inspire complacency - authorities stress the broader seasonal outlook for Windhoek and central Namibia remains concerning.

Every small, consistent action at the household level will shape the city's water resilience for months to come.

A comprehensive electricity infrastructure audit is currently underway in Okuryangava, one of Windhoek's busiest northern townships in the Katutura area.

A city-appointed consulting team is conducting a two-day, hands-on electrical pole inspection and utility asset valuation across the suburb.

The timing is critical.

Much of Windhoek's distribution network is ageing, and a broader 12-month city-wide audit is actively identifying which assets are deteriorating fastest and where capital investment is most urgently needed.

Okuryangava is a priority development zone, with the City of Windhoek already connecting thousands of informal settlement households to the grid as part of an electrification drive running to 2028.

Rapid local growth - from new retail outlets to a second Waste Buy-Back Centre - is placing mounting pressure on existing infrastructure.

Inspection teams will carry official municipal identification, operate branded vehicles, and wear branded clothing. Residents and property owners are urged to cooperate fully.

Data gathered will directly inform investment decisions, tariff planning, and future maintenance schedules across the capital.

A fierce debate is gripping Namibia's construction sector after Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi reportedly suggested only three or four local contractors can handle major infrastructure projects.

The Construction Industries Federation of Namibia (CIF) has pushed back hard, calling the remark a damaging generalisation that misrepresents genuine local capacity.

At the heart of the dispute is a critical distinction: financial qualification is not the same as technical competence.

Years of economic recession and reduced public spending have suppressed contractor turnover - reflecting a shortage of awarded contracts, not a shortage of skill.

The federation also flagged exclusionary tender specifications in the Karibib–Usakos corridor, arguing requirements tied to work volumes never commissioned locally set an unfair bar.

With government payment delays discouraging bidders and fronting arrangements blurring what counts as local participation, the CIF warns that broad ministerial statements risk entrenching preference for foreign firms - setting Namibia's construction industry back for years.

Namibia's music rights body is stepping into a bold new era.

The Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) has unveiled a refreshed visual identity, replacing its dated design with a sleek quarter note fused with the letter N, rendered in pink, white, and gold.

The rebrand is far more than cosmetic.

It arrives alongside significant governance reforms, new leadership structures, and a notable rise in royalty distributions to music creators across Namibia.

A multi-year international partnership is already channelling investment into copyright education, digital tools, and industry research.

Acting CEO Ferdinand Gertze describes the new identity as a reflection of a more modern, accessible, and forward-looking organisation.

Existing licences remain valid during a phased transition, with updated branding rolling out progressively.

For Namibian composers, lyricists, and publishers - the organisation protecting their work is evolving with real purpose.

Windhoek recently played host to a landmark gathering of young Namibians determined to shape the country's green industrial future.

The Green Industries Youth Forum - known as GIYF Namibia - united students, young professionals, and industry stakeholders to address one pressing question: how can youth meaningfully enter the green economy before the window closes.

The urgency is real.

As Namibia rises as a continental leader in renewable energy and green hydrogen, the gap between available young talent and industry demand is becoming impossible to ignore.

Organised by the University of Namibia's Physics Society alongside multiple co-hosting institutions, the forum stood out for its student-led structure and rare cross-institutional collaboration.

Speakers challenged the notion that green industries are reserved for engineers alone - arguing the sector needs communicators, tech specialists, and community voices too.

GIYF founder Saimi Amutenya built the platform after recognising that young Namibians were consistently shut out of the conversations defining their own futures.

Her mission is clear - empowering the next generation of industrial pioneers is not optional, it is essential.

Andrada Mining Limited has delivered its strongest financial results on record, with gross profit more than doubling to £7.7 million (about N$170 million) for the year ended February 2026.

Revenue surged 34% to £30.1 million (about N$662 million), up from £22.4 million (about N$492 million) the prior year, driven by record output at the Uis mine in Namibia's Erongo region and rising global tin prices.

Tin concentrate production jumped 15% to 1,740 tonnes - an operation record - while ore processed rose 8% to over 1.04 million tonnes.

EBITDA soared to £3.3 million (about N$73 million) from just £500,000 (about N$11 million) the year before, reflecting tighter cost discipline alongside surging commodity demand.

Beyond tin, Andrada is actively building a multi-mineral future - with tantalum already contributing revenue, lithium earmarked as the next opportunity, and a newly secured stake in the Brandberg West tungsten deposit.

Backed by the European Investment Bank for lithium studies, the company's one-mine, multiple-revenue model signals a transformative moment for critical minerals mining in Namibia.

A Standard Bank senior executive has restructured a multi-million-rand shareholding by transferring nearly ten thousand ordinary shares into a family trust - a move rooted in long-term estate planning rather than a conventional market sale.

The off-market transaction repositioned the executive's direct beneficial interest into an indirect beneficial interest held by the trust, in which the executive serves as both trustee and beneficiary.

Formal clearance was obtained prior to execution, confirming full compliance with governance protocols governing listed company insiders.

Because Standard Bank Group is dual-listed on both the Johannesburg and Namibian Securities Exchanges, the disclosure is visible to investors across both markets - with Windhoek-based stakeholders among those kept informed.

The trust's assets are professionally managed, reflecting a broader trend of executives formalising wealth through structured family vehicles.

No disruption to share price or trading volumes was expected, given the deal's off-market nature.

Namibia's rough diamond output held steady at 500 000 carats in the third quarter of 2026, defying a broader global decline.

While De Beers recorded an 11% drop in worldwide production to 6.8 million carats, Namibia remained a rare bright spot.

The global shortfall was driven by planned maintenance at Botswana's Orapa Mine and a strategic wind-down at South Africa's Venetia Mine, which is heading into a two-year operational pause stretching into early 2027.

De Beers' full acquisition of Canada's Gahcho Kué Mine lifted its 2026 production guidance to 25–28 million carats, while unit costs are expected to fall to around US$70 per carat.

Rough diamond sales generated US$731 million in Q3 revenue, up from US$700 million a year earlier - though the average realised price dropped 37% to US$97 per carat.

For Namibia, whose economy depends heavily on diamond revenues, that quarterly stability carries significant weight.

Something is shifting on Windhoek's streets - and it's moving in two directions at once.

Chinese vehicle brands captured 9.1% of Namibia's car market in 2025, up from 7.5% the prior year, with Haval, Jetour, and GWM no longer considered fringe players.

Haval broke into Namibia's top five selling brands for the first time, driven by competitive pricing and well-equipped models winning over buyers less tied to traditional brand loyalty.

Meanwhile, rising fuel costs are pushing hybrid vehicles into the conversation.

Currently under 4% of new-vehicle sales, hybrids suit Windhoek's short urban commutes while still handling Namibia's long open-road journeys - no charging network required.

Fully electric vehicles face a steeper climb, despite Windhoek inaugurating its first public EV charging port in September 2025.

Infrastructure across Namibia's vast geography remains a real constraint.

For drivers ready to embrace the change, the road ahead has never offered more choice.