ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY News & Analysis
JANUARY, 2022
2021 HIGHLIGHTS The Briefing and Analysis of RDJ Consulting (NAMIBIA) Windhoek, Namibia
News & Analysis
From The Editor Quick Facts Economy at Large Oil & Gas Mining Electricity Renewable Energy Water The Environment Roads & Transport ICT & Telecommunications Women in Industry Youth in Action Tenders and Careers Contributing Authors
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C ONT E NT S
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
JAN 2022
FROM THE EDITOR
RDJ Consulting Services CC is an advisory consultancy to the Energy, Water and Transport Sectors with a focus on sustainable operations and renewable energy.
PO Box 23738 Windhoek, NAMIBIA Telephone +264 61 400 171
EMAIL briefing@rdjpublishing.africa
WEBSITE www.rdjpublishing.africa
2021 HIGHLIGHTS Dear Reader, As we welcome 2022, it is with great pleasure that we again bring you the RDJ Briefing, with its clear factual and analytical focus on the Energy and Sustainability in Southern Africa and beyond. 2021 flashbacks are highlighted in this edition as we remind us all of the challenges faced and overcome, the loved ones we lost and the hope that the future brings. Without a doubt, 2022 will require even more strength as we deal with supply chain shortages, growing inflation and energy prices but utilizing our resilient nature, we shall keep moving forward. Over the years, the material covered have captured the ideas and innovative spirit of humanity, thus it is timely for what we have done to create the RDJ Group that will expand on these ideals. So, this is the year when we proudly announce the full operation of RDJ Publishing (Pty) Ltd to dedicate our emerging plunge into a spun off publishing house and
also welcome new team members that will continue to grow the RDJ Briefing and its new companions to be announced shortly. To find out more, please continue to enjoy reading this and do join our conversations on Twitter and Wordpress. If you are new to the RDJ Briefing, subscribe to this FREE Publication at briefing@rdjpublishing.africa and freely share the link with others that will benefit from its contents.
WATCH THIS SPACE! Enjoy, #Stay Safe and a happy 2022 to you….
(David A. Jarrett) Editor
Authors RDJ Interns*
This report is a FREE Publication and was prepared by RDJ Consulting Services CC based in Windhoek, Namibia. The content is collected from publicly available information and so its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
quick facts 2.3M
Population Size
66%
Employment (2021)
Tourism, Mining, Fishing Industries
89%
LTE
Telecom (sophistication)
2.575
Million Mobile(cell phones) Subscribers
2.25%
GDP Growth (2021 NSA)
7.50%
Prime Interest rate
Literacy Rate
8.8M
Water availability (cubic litres/capita)
4.7
Local Electrical Energy Production (TWh)
688.000
Electricity Demand in MW (all)
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4.10%
Inflation (CPI)
3.75% Repo Rate
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JANUARY, 2022
ECONOMY AT LARGE Fourth Wave, Rising Debt Pose Risks to Namibian Financial system
N
amibia’s financial system is under threat from the impending COVID-19 fourth wave coupled with vaccination hesitancy and rising government debt,
the central bank has warned. Bank of Namibia Governor Johannes !Gawaxab said although the economy is projected to recover from a contraction of 8.5% in 2020 to a growth rate of 1.5% for the year 2021 and improve further in 2022, the economic environment remains fragile. “These developments warrant close monitoring going forward. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, risks to the Namibian financial system remain imminent and will be monitored closely by both BoN and NAMFISA,” he said. He also noted that the Macroprudential Oversight Committee of the Bank of Namibia had concluded that the country’s financial system is resilient and sound, therefore no need for further macroprudential policy intervention. “Overall, the financial system is solvent, sound and has been resilient throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic challenges. Both the banking and non-banking sectors remained liquid, profitable and well capitalized,” he said. “This bodes well for financial stability because the financial system was able to withstand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with challenging macroeconomic conditions.” !Gawaxab said although the overall banking sector's key performance indicators improved, asset quality remains a concern. “The liquidity ratio increased from 15.9% in the second quarter of 2021 to 17.8% in the third quarter. Capital adequacy slowed marginally on a quarterly basis, but remained well above prudential requirements. Profitability improved and is recovering to pre-pandemic levels, as represented by the return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) ratios. The ROE ratio increased from 11.8% in the second quarter of 2021 to 13.6% in the
third quarter; while the ROA ratio increased from 1.4% to 1.6% over the same period,” the Governor said. “The stress tests indicated that the banking sector will remain solvent over the next 12 months. Of concern is the continued increase in the non-performing loan ratio during the period under review, though marginally, however the Bank is monitoring these developments closely.” !Gawaxab said the country’s Non-Bank Financial Institutions Sector (NBFIs) remained sound and sufficiently capitalised recording a quarterly growth rate in assets of 2% between the second and third quarter of 2021, driven mainly by market returns from pension funds and new business from long-term insurance (LTI) and collective investment schemes (CIS). “Although the pension fund industry remained solvent, there are concerns regarding benefits paid exceeding contributions received, which is as a result of the impact of the pandemic on the labour market. However, there is some comfort that the return on investments recorded a 4% growth rate, during the period under review and hence remained sufficient to cover the gap identified above. The LTI sector remained solvent with sound reserves and net premiums sufficiently covering claims. In addition, the CIS sector remained stable. The regulator will continue to monitor developments accordingly,” the Governor said. He said Private sector credit extended (PSCE) declined during the first ten months of 2021 compared to the corresponding period of 2020. “The growth in PSCE moderated to an average of 2.5 percent for the first ten months of 2021 when compared to the 3.7 percent growth recorded for the same period in 2020. The slowdown is attributed to lower demand for credit by both households and businesses owing to slow domestic economic activity,” he said.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY:
https://www.thebrief.com.na/index.php/component/k2 /item/441-fourth-wave-rising-debt-pose-risks-tonamibian-financial-system
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Gold Reserves and their re-introduction into Zambia's Economy AUTHOR: Misozi Mugala Research Contributor
EDITOR: Priscila Chilombo Economist @ RDJ Consulting
W
ith the Zambian economy not doing so well, justified by inflation standing at 21.5%, price instability persisting and the continuous depre-
-ciation of the Zambian kwacha, it is inevitable for its economists to revise both its monetary and fiscal policy. For this, the Bank of Zambia has resorted into keeping Gold reserves in order to revive the declining economy. According to the governor of Bank of Zambia who spoke at the signing of this Agreement, the re-introduction of gold as part of the country’s foreign exchange reserves was a meaningful decision, as this is not the first time that the Bank will be acquiring and holding gold as a reserve asset. Before 1995, the Bank procured gold for reserves from Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) Limited. However, due to the severe foreign exchange liquidity challenges that the country faced during the 1990s, the gold reserve portfolio was liquidated in 1995. Standing at a different time as that of the 90’s, Zambia has resorted into trying this out once again. This time, the gold will be sourced locally, therefore, Kansanshi Mining Plc was identified as a counterparty since it has been producing the commodity on a commercial basis since 2006. Apart from Kansanshi, the Bank has also engaged Zambia Gold Company, a newly established subsidiary of ZCCM–IH as the other counterparty in the purchase agreements given its mandate to oversee mining, processing, refining and marketing of gold in Zambia. The first purchase of Gold which weighed 47 kilograms was made on the 11th December, 2020.
WHAT IS A GOLD RESERVE? britannica.com defines Gold Reserve as a fund of gold bullion or coin held by a government or bank, as distinguished from a private hoard of gold held by an individual or nonfinancial institution.
WHAT ARE GOLD RESERVES USED FOR? Gold Reserves are used to hedge against inflation – For instance in situations of high inflation like the current condition in Zambia, when supply for gold reduces, purchasing huge amounts of gold would help stabilize the inflation rate in the long run as the demand for gold increases. This is possible because Gold is an inferior good which maintains its high value unlike other types of currencies.
They determine imports and exports – with all currencies being linked to the value of exports and imports, state investment in gold reserves brings about a more balanced trade. Normally, when imports surpass exports, the value of currency depreciates and vice versa. A country that exports gold and has an excess of gold reserves will experience a strong currency and also a rise in net exports in the long run. They also determine the value of a country’s currency – gold reserves yield a direct relationship between gold production demand and the local currency. Holding all other factors constant, when demand from the manufacturing sector required to process gold increases, the local currency tends to appreciate. Gold reserves can devaluate the trading currency – When Central Banks make many transactions in gold, it affects the demand and supply of the local currency and may cause inflation. This is because banks need to print more cash to be able to buy gold, thereby creating an excess supply of fiat currency. Given the fact that Gold has so many uses, gold never loses its value, and its role shall keep changing with the economies and policies. The relation between gold and banks has also been evolving from time to time. In fact, Policymakers create the political and economic outlook of a country based on how much gold reserves they have, which is not always correct. The reality is that it is not about how much gold is bought and held by the government in the form of the reserve, but rather how much of the gold held shows the government the total receives. As for Zambia, it is good that its economists have realised that gold is the pivot point of the fiscal policy and no change can take place without system revision. Meanwhile the question that remain is: “Is this finally the path to Zambia’s economic recovery?” The conversation continues at briefing@rdjconsulting.co.za
Readings: https://www.boz.zm/press_statement_gold_purchasing_programme.pdf https://www.boz.zm/governors_speech_signing_ceremony_of_gold_purcha se_agreement_with_kansanshi_mining.pdf https://www.britannica.com/topic/gold-reserve
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OIL & GAS
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
AUGUST, 2020
2022 JANUARY FUEL PRICES
N$ 15.65
per litre 95 Octane Unleaded Petrol
N$ 15.58
per litre Diesel 50ppm
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JANUARY, 2022
AUTHOR: David Jarrett Managing Consultant at RDJ Consulting
E
New Oil Discoveries - Old Problems?
xxon Mobil Corp. struck oil at Pinktail in the Stabroek Block offshore the nation of Guyana, adding another discovery to the U.S. oil major’s
exploration tally in the region. The Pinktail well, located southeast of the Liza Phase 1 project and Yellowtail-1, marks the 20th significant discovery on the 6.6 millionacre Stabroek Block, which is operated by Exxon Mobil as part of a consortium that includes New York-based Hess Corp. and China’s CNOOC Ltd. Despite not specifying the size of reserves in its latest discovery, Exxon Mobil said Pinktail will add to previous recoverable resource estimate of approximately 9 billion oil equivalent barrels. Just the week before the Exxon Mobil Corp. find, Ivory Coast reported a “major” offshore oil find, discovered by Italian firm Eni. Energy minister Thomas Camara said the finding was estimated between 1.5 and 2 billion barrels of oil and around 1.8-2.4 trillion cubic feet (51 million cubic metres) of gas. Aside from Total and Eni, Britain's Tullow Oil has also announced significant discoveries of Ivorian offshore oil reserves in recent years. Here in Namibia, Canadian oil and gas company Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (“ReconAfrica”) has
begun exploratory drilling in the Kavango Basin of northeast Namibia and is expected to similarly do so into northwest Botswana. It is also said the exploration and production activities will open the door to thousands of well-paying jobs for Namibians, not to mention the opportunities for building local capacity and technology sharing that come with the presence of international oil companies.
Enter climate change and net zero ambitions! Under climate change ambitions and goals, lie the path to sustainability. According to S&P Global, Net zero and carbon neutral commitments are on the rise in 2021, as companies, financial institutions and countries assert their alignment to global climate goals. Especially in the quest for Net Zero, some companies have sought carbon offsets. A carbon offset broadly refers to a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – or an increase in carbon storage (e.g., through land restoration or the planting of trees) – that is used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere. This although not an embryonic industry, it is still evolving, having various actors and being in need of a universal framework.
ReconAFRICA Aeromagnetic survey diagram - Copyright: ReconAFRICA https://www.reconafrica.com
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commercially available options and the ability for the average person to make the switch. With new discoveries and the need to keep economic activities growing, there is a loss of rationality among the two sides to focus on hybrid solutions which sadly are already available but thwarted by either regulation or just commonsense economic support. There is much more to be examined and so the conversation continues. briefing@rdjpublishing.africa
U.S. Solar Growth Path - Solar Futures Study Courtesy: U.S. Department of Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a 2021 study that points out “that solar, our cheapest and fastest-growing source of clean energy, could produce enough electricity to power all of the homes in the U.S. by 2035 and employ as many as 1.5 million people in the process” which clearly points towards the ability for a sustainable future at residential level as a minimum. However, these ambitions in most cases seem to be thwarted by a lack of enough
READINGS https://www.hartenergy.com/ https://www.france24.com/en/afr ica/20210902-ivory-coast-reportsmajor-offshore-oil-discovery https://www.energy.gov/articles/ doe-releases-solar-futures-studyproviding-blueprint-zero-carbongrid https://www.spglobal.com/ https://www.offsetguide.org/
Credit pxhere.com
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JANUARY, 2022
MINING Namibia Exports its First Iron Ore
Courtesy: http://lodestonepty.com/lodestones-dordabis-mining-project/
D
espite the challenges that Covid-19 has brought to the different economic sectors, the Namibian Mining Sector uncovered its great marketing
as magnetite and hematite for industrial consumers since mid-2015.
According to Namib Times, Namibia has officially become an iron ore exporter after the country’s first 52 000 tons of iron ore, produced by Loadstone Namibia (Pty) Ltd at its Dordabis Iron Ore Project, departed the Port of Walvis Bay on 24 August 2021 for export.
The Chamber of Mines reports that production at Dordabis Iron Ore Mine commenced in July 2015 with 4000 tonnes of iron produced during 2015. Furthermore, Loadstone reported that approximately 1 300 truckloads were required from the mine, some 20km north of Dordabis, over a period of two months to stockpile the iron ore in the port of Walvis Bay.
This is a great historic moment for the country, especially for the Mining Industry which also suffered the impact of Covid-19 in its activities for the past year.
Meanwhile, Grindrod handled the loading operations of the iron ore, aboard the bulk carrier vessel Wu Yi Hai, destined for China.
In fact, Loadstone Namibia (Pty) Ltd is a private company that was established in 2006 and owns the Dordabis Iron Ore Mine Project which is reported to have an estimated life of up to 2035. The company was established to produce iron ore for uranium producers in Namibia as
Readings:
potential in its first ever export of iron ore.
Namib Times http://lodestonepty.com/lodestones-dordabis-mining-project/ https://economist.com.na/18367/mining-energy/iron-ore-mine-toproduce-up-to-2035/
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Key Facts about Dordabis Project
Both images are courtesy: http://lodestonepty.com
2 MILLION tons per year output for 17 years 68% Fe premium product PROVEN pit-to-port logistics 20 YEAR MINING license granted DFS AND EIA completion underway PORT AND RAIL Agreement negotiations in final stages ESG PLAN being developed UNIQUE LOW CAPITAL INTENSITY AND LOW RISK for a premium high grade iron ore concentrate 38% POST TAX IRR on 21m forward price
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JANUARY, 2022
ELECTRICITY Could this Project Get Namibia to its Goal?
AUTHOR: David Jarrett Managing Consultant at RDJ Consulting
Energy Storage Application Concept (https://manometcurrent.com/)
N
amibia currently has several energy storage systems that are customer owned (on and off-grid) and state owned off-grid facilities. This is now moving forward both on a regulatory front by the Electricity Control Board (ECB) developing a Regulatory Framework and NamPower placing an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) call to build via Bid Number W/OIB/NPWR-02/2021, a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Omburu near Omaruru. This is a timely move seeing that Namibia also is home to vast renewable energy resources that will benefit from energy storage being used in tandem. Namibia is not isolated in acquiring these systems as according to Wood Mackenzie and the U.S. Energy Storage Association’s (ESA) latest ‘US Energy Storage Monitor’ report, 2,156 megawatt-hours (MWh) of new energy storage systems were brought online in Q4 2020. This is an increase of 182% from Q3 2020, making Q4 the new record quarter for U.S. storage.
The global battery energy storage systems market size was valued at USD 7.04 billion in 2019 and is projected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.8% over the forecast period.
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As prices fall and barriers to storage deployment are eroded, front-of-the-meter (FTM) storage is taking off in the U.S. Four out of every five megawatts (MW) deployed in Q4 were FTM storage. The segment contributed 529 MW out of the total 651 MW of storage deployed in Q4. California saw the lion’s share of Q4 FTM deployments, according to the report.
approach," including electrochemical, thermal and chemical carrier sources.
In 2020 overall, 1,464 MW / 3,487 MWh of new storage came online in the U.S. 179% more storage was added in 2020 than in 2019 in MW terms. The U.S. storage market will add five times more MW of storage in 2025 than was added in 2020, with FTM storage continuing to contribute between 75-85% of new MW each year.
Experts agree that long-duration storage is necessary to shore up the grid and ensure a reliable power supply during periods of decreased renewable production. There are a range of technologies available for long-duration storage, from hydropower to pumped thermal, but there have been few breakthroughs in the market. NREL's analysis concluded more work is needed to boost the discharge efficiency and lower the cost for long-duration storage to displace fossil fuel or nuclear power, with the capacity cost needing to drop from USD $200 per kWh to USD $1 per kWh.
“2020 is the first year that advanced energy storage deployments surpassed gigawatt scale – a tremendous milestone on the path to our aspiration of 100 GW by 2030,” said Jason Burwen, U.S. Energy Storage Association Interim CEO. “With continuing storage cost declines and growing policy support and regulatory reform in states and the federal government, energy storage is on an accelerating trajectory to enable a resilient, decarbonized, and affordable electric grid for all.” The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set a goal to reduce the cost of utility-scale, long-duration energy storage by 90% within a decade to bolster a grid powered by renewable energy. The program, dubbed Long Duration Storage Shot will encourage development of systems with a duration of at least 10 hours, which can help mitigate the day-to-day and seasonal variability of renewable energy. A DOE official said the program will have a "technology-inclusive
mechanical,
The department will advance the cost-cutting goal by funding research and development at national labs, establishing large-scale demonstrations and deployments and encouraging more domestic manufacturing.
With COP 26 on the horizon and a major push globally, can Namibia help lead the charge while maximizing its resources? Readings: https://www.ecb.org.na/images/docs/Studies/Final%20%20ECB%20Energy%20Storage%20Assessment%20Report%20%2020210430.pdf https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-initiative-seeks-to-droplong-duration-storage-cost-90-in-a-decade/ https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/us-energy-storagemarket-shatters-quarterly-deployment-record/ https://manometcurrent.com/battery-energy-storage-systemmarket-2021-emerging-trend-opportunity-and-complete-strategicanalysis/
Energy Storage Classification scheme (www.ecb.org.na)
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JANUARY, 2022
RENEWABLE ENERGY End of Coal in Sight at COP26
OUTCOMES At least 23 countries have made new commitments today to phase out coal power, including five of the world’s top 20 coal powerusing countries Major international banks commit to effectively end all international public financing of new unabated coal power by the end of 2021 At least 25 countries and public finance institutions commit to ending international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022 Boost comes as overall a 190-strong coalition agrees to phase out coal power and end support for new coal power plants thanks to a package of support from the UK and international partners
Courtesy: RDJ Consulting
ARTICLE ORIGINAL PUBLICATION: https://ukcop26.org/end-of-coal-in-sight-at-cop26/
C
oal is being consigned to history today at COP26, as countries, banks and organisations move away from the single biggest contributor to climate
change. A just transition to clean energy and the rapid phase-out of coal has been at the heart of the COP26 Presidency as part of its efforts to minimise temperature rises in line with the Paris Agreement. The breadth of commitments in Glasgow today at Energy Day signal the world is moving towards a renewable future. At least 23 nations made new commitments to phase out coal power, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Poland, South Korea, Egypt, Spain, Nepal, Singapore, Chile and Ukraine. In a new ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’, countries also committed to scaling up clean
power and ensuring a just transition away from coal. Today’s announcements follow a collapse in the financing of coal, as developed nations have pledged new support to help developing countries make the transition to clean energy. Banks and financial institutions also made landmark commitments at COP26 today to end the funding of unabated coal, including major international lenders like HSBC, Fidelity International and Ethos. This follows recent announcements from China, Japan and South Korea to end overseas coal financing which now means all significant public international financing for coal power has effectively ended.
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In addition, a group of 25 countries including COP26 partners Italy, Canada, the United States and Denmark together with public finance institutions have signed a UK-led joint statement committing to ending international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022 and instead prioritising support for the clean energy transition. Collectively, this could shift an estimated $17.8 billion a year in public support out of fossil fuels and into the clean energy transition. Developing countries including Ethiopia, Fiji and the Marshall Islands offered their support, signalling growing unity. This is an inclusive agenda that must recognise the development and energy needs of all economies. This is a historic step. It is the first time a COP presidency has prioritised this issue and put a bold end date on international fossil fuel finance. COP26 has set a new gold standard on the Paris Alignment of international public finance and sends a clear signal for private investors to follow. Today, 28 new members also signed up to the world’s largest alliance on phasing out coal. The Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched and co-chaired by the UK and Canada. New members include Chile and Singapore, joining more than 160 countries, sub-nationals and businesses. And 20 new countries, including Vietnam, Morocco and Poland committed to building no new coal plants, matching similar announcements over the past year by Pakistan, Malaysia and the Philippines, and building on the No New Coal Power Compact launched in September by Sri Lanka, Chile, Montenegro and European partners. There has been a 76% drop in the number of new coal plants planned globally over the last six years since the Paris Agreement was adopted. This equates to the cancellation of more than 1000GW of new coal plants. In separate announcements, major emerging economies today took significant steps to move from coal to clean power. India, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa announced partnerships with the Climate Investment Funds to accelerate their transitions away from coal power, backed by a dedicated $2 billion facility. Indonesia and the Philippines announced pioneering partnerships with the Asian Development Bank to support the early retirement of coal plants. These followed the ground-breaking $8.5 billion deal to support South Africa’s just transition to clean energy announced at the World Leaders Summit on Tuesday.
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"From the start of the UK’s Presidency, we have been clear that COP26 must be the COP that consigns coal to history. With these ambitious commitments we are seeing today, the end of coal power is now within sight. Securing a 190-strong coalition to phase out coal power and end support for new coal power plants and the Just Transition Declaration signed today, show a real international commitment to not leave any nation behind. Together we can accelerate access to electricity for more than three quarters of a billion people who currently lack access, consigning energy poverty to history as we create the clean power future needed to keep 1.5 alive." COP26 President, Alok Sharma
"With 80% growth in their capacity commitment—from 25 to 45 gigawatts of electrolysis—in one year, the Green Hydrogen Catapult and its members demonstrate the near-term potential for exponential growth in green hydrogen, enabled by local and global policy support and rapidly growing customer interest. It is fantastic to see the ambition in renewables deployment, with Race to Zero members committing to reaching over 750GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. This will only grow as more energy companies join the Race to Zero emissions, and decarbonisation ambitions continue to increase, reflecting the exponential progress we have seen to date in the sector." Gonzalo Muñoz and Nigel Topping, High Level Climate Action Champions
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JANUARY, 2022
WATER January 2022 Dam Levels Update for Namibia
SOURCE: NamWater's weekly dam bulletin - dated 15 November 2021
BASED ON THE GRAPH: A blank space or an (NR) indicates no readings received. Omatjenne Dam does not have abstraction facilities. The dam contents are according to the latest dam basin surveys.
The inflow that is reflected in the bulletin does not take into account evaporation and abstraction of water.
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KFW Funds Gammams Wastewater Treatment Plant Renovation and Upgrade
I
n May, 2021 the Windhoek Municipality, on behalf of the Namibia government received a grant from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW), a development
cubic meters and sometimes at peak hours 41,000 cubic meters per day.
Bank based in Germany. The grant which is nonrefundable is worth N$10 million and will be used to renovate and upgrade the Gammams Wastewater Treatment Plant which situated near Goreangab Dam.
According to the documents submitted to the municipality council, the funds will be used to hire experts for designing and implementing the work of expanding the plant so it can hold about 50, 000 cubic meters per day.
Constructed in 1961 and operational since 1968, the Gammams Wastewater Treatment Plant was the first in the world to recycle wastewater into potable water, and it has also been the major source of water for the Windhoek population.
Readings:
The plant was originally built to hold around 28,000 cubic meters (of Sewage) but due to an increased demand in water, it has been holding between 32, 000 to 38, 000
https://www.namibian.com.na/102111/read/Windhoek-gets-N$10-milliongrant-to-upgrade--water-system https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-12-15/recycling-sewage-drinking-waterno-big-deal-theyve-been-doing-it-namibia-50years#:~:text=The%20Goreangab%20water%20treatment%20plant,such%20 plant%20in%20the%20world.&text=On%20the%20outskirts%20of%20Windho ek,vat%20of%20nasty%20brown%20liquid
Credit: RDJ Photo
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JANUARY, 2022
How Climate Change May Affect Namibia’s Water Security AUTHOR: Monique Jarrett Environmentalist @ RDJ Consulting
Fetching water from distant places in Nothern Namibia is very common due to scarcity. Credit - RDJ Photo
I
t is often said that the next world war will not be based on religion, creed, or political power, but over water or rather the lack thereof. With increasing changes in climate and global warming there has been an increasing variability in rainfall patterns. Some areas are receiving more than normal as seen in Germany, whereas some areas in the world such as South Madagascar are currently experiencing their worst drought in 40 Years. When you walk into a public bathroom in Namibia, you will often see posters or stickers on the wall that says, “Turn off taps”, “use water sparingly”, “Namibia is a dry country”, and so on. Additionally, local dams have often been put on high alert and City of Windhoek often warns residents of their water consumption by implanting regulations such as the banning of washing cars with running water. Being a semi-arid country, Namibia is often prone to drought. Mean annual rainfall is less than 250 millimetres
(mm) with an upper limit of about 600 mm per year. Namibia relies mainly on groundwater as its main source of water providing a buffer against drought. Climate change poses a real threat to Namibia’s water availability and are therefore more likely to experience water scarcity as future climate change trends predict that the country will be hit by changing rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, increased rates of evapotranspiration and prolonged drought which will intensify water scarcity in the country. According to UN-Water, water security is “The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability.”
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However, when Namibia does have good rains, it normally leads to intense flooding which is often seen in the northern regions and was seen in January 2021 in Windhoek. With the release of the IPCC ‘Climate Change 2021 The physical science basis: Summary for policymakers’ Sixth Assessment report has been identified from current climate data and through data modelling and future projections show that precipitation in countries such as Namibia in the subtropics is expected to decrease. If the globe was to become 1.5 degree Celsius (symbol: °C) warmer, the mean precipitation change over Namibia will see a 5% decrease. If the globe was to become 2.0 °C warmer, the mean precipitation change over Namibia will see a 15% decrease and if the globe was to become 4.0 °C warmer, the mean precipitation change over Namibia will see up to 20-30% decrease. If the globe was to become 1.5 °C warmer, the Annual mean total column soil moisture change over Namibia will see a 0.5% - 0.75% decrease in mean total soil moisture. If the globe was to become 2.0 °C warmer, the mean precipitation change over Namibia will see a 1% - 1.25% decrease in mean total column soil moisture change. If the globe was to become 4.0 °C warmer, the mean precipitation change over Namibia will see up to 1.5% decrease in mean annual precipitation. The projected statistics show that there will be an increase and more prolonged agricultural, ecological, and meteorological droughts, heatwaves, increased evapotranspiration, low groundwater recharge, and decreased water availability in both quantity and quality,
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to reduce renewable surface water and groundwater resources, variability of rainfall, temperature increases, and seasonal climate patterns become more variable. All of which will have dire effects on food and water security for the country in the coming future. To ensure that Namibia is ready to mitigate and adapt to these challenges climate change and disaster risk management strategies need to implement better water harvesting and capturing strategies during the rainy seasons and more efficient water use by all sectors. This can be achieved at a local level by allowing residential households to collect rainwater that can be used to water gardens, wash cars, wash clothes, etc. in order to lessen the pressure on the local water supply. Additionally, further research on how to use less water in agricultural activities, such as investing in drought resistant crops and animals need to be encoraged. Lack of water is perhaps the single most important constraint to economic development and therefore Integrated water resources management is more important than ever in order to promote efficient use of water.
Readings: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2021.602962/full https://www.adaptationundp.org/sites/default/files/downloads/namibia_nationalclimatechangepoli cyfornamib.pdf http://www.bgr.bund.de/EN/Themen/Wasser/Projekte/abgeschlossen/TZ/Na mibia/groundwater_namibia.pdf?__blob=publicationFile https://www.unwater.org/publications/water-securityinfographic/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20capacity%20of%20a%20population ,ecosystems%20in%20a%20climate%20of https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/#FullReport
A river in Namibia during rainny season. Credit - RDJ Photo
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THE ENVIRONMENT ReconAfrica - Economy Versus Environment
AUTHOR: Monique Jarrett Environmentalist @ RDJ Consulting DISCLAIMER The Author has related 2018 data and information to give a baseline on the different parameters utilized in the discussion. The reader is advised to update themselves on any and all of the data and information used here.
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onservation in Namibia is considered globally to be held in the highest regard, enough to be included in the country’s Constitution. As the only country in the world to do so, Article 95 of Namibia's Constitution mandates that the “maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of the Namibians, both present and future.” If oil is found, Namibia could become a key player in the global oil industry. This would potentially have major impacts on Namibia’s economy, job creation, rural development but also on the flipside for the relevant ecosystems. ReconAfrica (a Canadian / Namibian company), holds a 90% interest as mandated by Namibian law, in a petroleum exploration licence in the Northeast of Namibia. The proposed exploration drilling sites are in located in blocks 1819 and 1820 in the Kavango basin centred on Ncaute, 55 Km south of Rundu. The exploration license covers the entire Kavango sedimentary basin an area of approximately 25,341.33 sq. km (6.3 million acres). A thorough geological and geophysical data analysis of the area was conducted and concluded that the area reaches depths of up to 30,000 feet, under optimal conditions to preserve a thick interval of organic rich marine source rocks. The company (ReconAfrica) has obtained an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the Namibian authorities, thus permitting the company to drill two stratigraphic wells to gather data on the basin’s geology and confirm the presence of oil or gas at a future date. However, the environmental certificate does not allow for extensive mining yet. ReconAfrica now hope through the exploratory efforts and
"maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of the Namibians, both present and future." exploration wells to confirm the presence of an active petroleum system in the Kavango Basin. The well-site for the first well (6-2) in the Kavango basin and the associated camp were completed, mid-December 2019. Drilling of the 6-2 well which should now have taken place since the first part of January 2021. Therefore, these exploration efforts in the currently considered pristine, untouched and highly biologically diverse area has raised many questions about the effects the drilling may have on the Okavango area and thus, are the gains to the country’s economy worth the possible land degradation and pollution to come from the exploration activities?
Readings: http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2017/6344.pdf http://www.mme.gov.na/files/publications/cbe_Media%20Release%20Recon%20PEL%2 073_September%202020%20(002).pdf https://reconafrica.com/operations/kavango-basin/ http://theeis.com/elibrary/sites/default/files/downloads/literature/APP_0016%20EIA%2 0Report%20Report%20for%20Drilling%20in%20PEL%2073_Copy.pdf http://www.lac.org.na/index.php/projects/land-environment-development-lead/oilexploration/ https://www.energy-pedia.com/news/namibia/reconafrica-preparing-to-drill-the-deepkavango-basin-181525
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Plastic Recycling may not be the Only Solution AUTHOR: Monique Jarrett Environmentalist @ RDJ Consulting
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he use of plastics has replaced the use of many other materials such as glass, wood, and ceramics over the past 50 years. The increased production and consumerism of plastics, coupled with our lack of effective collection and recycling of plastic waste such as disposed single-use plastic bags, straws and plastic bottles are now polluting many of our ecosystems. Since 1950 to 2018, about 6.3 billion tonnes of plastics have been produced worldwide, 9% of which has been successfully recycled and 12% incinerated. Annually 380 million metric ton is produced globally of which only 20% is recycled. Poor waste management across many countries has led to major ocean pollution. 3% of the globe’s annual waste ends up in the ocean. Plastics are entering our terrestrial water bodies and pose a threat to our drinking water supplies, while the abundant plastic pollution in our oceans are being consumed by marine life leading to bioaccumulation in these organisms threatening our food chains and leading to the death of marine life. Of all the waste generated in Africa it is estimated that 70–80% of the waste is recyclable, yet only 4% of MSW is currently recycled. Simple daily activities that we do not even think twice about are also contributing to the problem such as the increased abundance of micro fibres from our clothes released during our weekly laundry routines and the microbeads found in our daily cosmetic products are also being found amongst marine litter and microplastics being lodged in marine life intestines and act as a vessel for other biotoxins to be consumed. But the real question is, is the problem with the presence and continued production of these products or rather the waste management of these products once disposed of? There is a great push to collect and recycle plastics already in circulation, however many of these materials cannot be recycled. Items and materials such as singleuse plastics bags, nappies, take away coffee cups, Polystyrene (foam), bubble wrap and medical waste cannot be recycled. So even with our best efforts to recycle and reduce the plastic waste filling up landfills or polluting our lands, rivers, and oceans our efforts would prove futile. We also cannot rely on recycling alone as most plastics can only be recycled once or twice. None the less effective collection and management of plastic waste is still important and better uses for plastic waste
needs to be found. In many countries where they are not able to recycle the plastics themselves, they often export collected plastics to other countries to be recycled. There are various innovative solutions and initiatives to reuse these plastic waste items to create new products that can be reused over and over again. Fashion fishing nets used for dresses, melting plastic products, combining additives, and then using the mixture to pave roadways, eco-bricks: reusable building blocks for a number of purposes like building tables, beds, stages or even walls. In South Africa even a school was built from Eco-bricks. Recycled plastics are being used to create shelters for refugees and homeless people etc. However there needs to an overall change in behaviour of people with regards to the appropriate disposal of plastic waste and preventative measures need to be put in place to prevent polluting and littering. There needs to be a greater incentive for consumers to buy sustainable products made out or recyclable or biodegradable products and also a reduction in price for these products. While a heavier price should be placed on the continued use of single use non-recyclable products through heavy taxes or increased prices under the push for ‘polluters pay’. Big producer and consumer companies of plastics should be held responsible for coming up with effective management of the disposal and waste produced by their products that are harmful to the environment. Recyclable plastics should be used more over non-recyclable plastics, or an alternative type of material should be used, preferably products and materials that last longer and reusable. The ultimate change needed to tackle the global plastic pollution lies with the polluter and social awareness and behaviour and willingness to power will always lie the consumer.
Readings: https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijtra/international-journal-oftoxicology-and-risk-assessment-ijtra-5-021.php?jid=ijtra https://ourworldindata.org/plasticpollution#:~:text=The%20world%20now% 20produces%20more,our%20natural%20environment%20and%20oceans. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/30975/Africa_WMO _Poster.pdf https://www.17goalsmagazin.de/en/9-innovations-to-up-cycle-plasticwaste/
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ROADS AND TRANSPORT
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The Future of Public Transport AUTHOR: David Jarrett Managing Consultant at RDJ Consulting
The Yutong Experience - Exports to Denmark After entering the Danish market for the first time in 2019, Yutong bus has again won the largest batch of full electric bus orders in Denmark. On February 3, 2021, 55 Yutong E12 full electric buses officially arrived in Denmark. At present, the vehicles being prepared are expected to be put into service successively in April. The vehicles are purchased by the Danish subsidiary of Keolis, the largest public transportation group in France. After the vehicles are put into service, the greenization of Danish public transportation will be greatly enhanced, and the local public transportation service will be further improved, providing a more pro-environmental and comfortable ride experience. In addition, Yutong also adjusted the adaptability of E12 model according to Denmark’s arctic local environment characteristics featuring heavy rain and snow to further meet the users’ needs.
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ublic transport is a necessity especially in urban settings. Many see public transport as only for the poor or as an odd convenience, but the future requires efficiency in all things and travel is not exempt. Electric buses provide a clean mode of transportation for the public. Electric buses are now a norm in bus fleets, world over with buses in Chile, Bulgaria, Denmark, USA, UK, France, Germany and many other countries, carrying passengers daily. These buses carryout duties such as Coaches, School Buses, Inter-city Buses and City Buses.
Yutong, a Chinese e-vehicle manufacturer states that it has delivered some 41 000 buses worldwide in 2020, noting that this was during the midst of the pandemic. Yutong puts one of its 12m busses to require 422 KWh of energy storage and a 300 km range on a full charge. This is comparable to the needs of the City of Windhoek’s fleet and well within range, thus the future of public transport is here! Reading https://en.yutong.com/pressmedia https://en.yutong.com/technology/new-energy-buses/ https://en.yutong.com/res/template
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ICT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS First Capital Bank Launches Chatbot
Zimbabwe
Paying Municipality Bills Via FNB eWallet is now Possible!
he Namibian Business Innovation Institute (NBII) is collaborating with Glowdom and Eduix (Finland) in partnership with National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), and the Southern Africa Innovation Support programme, has launched the Edupreneurs project in late March of this year. The project seeks to power EdTech infrastructure and education software development in southern Africa.
OVID-19 has disrupted the lives of the global populations. Many millions had to find new ways to do everyday things. One of those things people nded up doing differently was connecting with their bank.
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With internet adoption standing at 26% in Sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2019. The region accounts for almost half of the global population not covered by a mobile broadband network. Educational technology, both online and offline, is helping fill a need for more personalized, interactive educational experiences for students and teachers alike. The project is a digital business ecosystem that aims at solving challenges that have risen due to the lack of digital infrastructure and personnel with digital competencies, even more exacerbated due to the COVID19 pandemic. Members of the project are in the process of planning to formally launch the digital platform, as well as to host capacity-building workshops for the various stakeholders in the education space locally and regionally. The flexibility of an online program provides individuals with the opportunity to learn who may not have otherwise had the time to attend physical classes. When learning online, the individual can revisit past material and learn at a pace that best suits them. By successfully completing an online education course, the individual demonstrates that they can practice time management and are self-motivated, which are among the top 10 employability skills employers want to see in new hires.
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FNB Head of Merchant Services and Fleet, Herman Kruger, announced a new offering that allows customers to pay their water and electricity bills with their FNB eWallet. “FNB Namibia customers can now pay their bills at municipalities and town councils all around the county using an eWallet. All customers have to do is dial *140*392# to access their eWallet, then select ‘Withdraw Cash’. They will then receive a One-Time PIN (OTP) and then give their cellphone number and OTP to the cashier – and the bill is paid” advised Kruger. Additionally, FNB customers can also make use of the many other ways to pay these bills, namely via cellphone banking, online banking, the FNB App and the FNB ATMs. The global pandemic has seen really strong adoption of new technology that normally takes a lot longer to happen. Owing to banks accelerating their plans to roll out new products. In many cases, a new innovation roll out which would have taken 2-years becomes a 6-month plan.
“The developed information systems must help make life easier for end users. New systems must be seen as useful tools rather than an extra burden to carry,” said the Minister of Basic Education, Arts and Culture.
Readings:
Credit: www.itweb.co.za
https://economist.com.na/61529/technology/edupreneurs-projectpowers-education-software-development/ https://www.gsma.com/r/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MobileInternet-Connectivity-SSA-Fact-Sheet.pdf https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/benefits-of-onlinelearning/
Readings: https://economist.com.na/61871/technology/customers-can-nowpay-for-water-and-electricity-with-an-ewallet/ https://www.bankrate.com/banking/checking/benefits-of-mobilebanking/
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Fiber Infrastructure in Namibia A Reality Underway
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ith the demand for connectivity soaring high globally overtime as most of activities have become digital, improving technology is a commendable thing to do.
continue its network into the rest of southern Africa. In fact, After the West Africa Cable System (WACS) which was installed in February 2011, this will be the second Cable to be installed in Namibia.
In February 2021 an announcement was made about the arrival of a submarine fiber optic Internet cable. The announcement about the upcoming project was first made by google in 2019 explaining that it would link Africa and Europe by running a submarine cable along the west coast of Africa.
According to Paratus Namibia Managing Director, Equiano will increase the international data Capacity in Namibia to 12 terabytes per second, which is twenty (20) times more than WACS. He further added that with the new normal, this development can surely be of good use since national and international connectivity continue to be the center of this concept. In fact, submarine cables are the highways that make all this happen.
Named Equiano, the new cable off the Africa’s west coast is part of Google’s worldwide network project expected to be completed in 2022, with a coverage of about 14 000 kilometers (Km), passing through Portugal, South Africa, Swakopmund and eight (8) other branches. After its latest announcement, the local operator Paratus Namibia, requested Google to link to the undersea cable, of which after receiving approval, Paratus made a major Public-Private Partnership with Telecom Namibia and Demshi Investments to engage in this project. Namibia’s contribution towards the project is estimated at around N$260 million. To accommodate this new development, Namibia is currently constructing a Cable station in Swakopund with the hope to complete it this year. Meanwhile, the cable is expected to land in September at the Swakopmund waterfront, and then move a further 1.2km to the station situated in the Ocean View suburb, from where it will
Telecom’s Telecom Chief Executive Officer also noted that the collaboration between local network providers will promote economic growth and digital transformation, as well as accelerate Namibia’s participation in the fourth industrial revolution. He added that this will improve connectivity locally, as well as to the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Readings: https://economist.com.na/59627/technology/first-deal-to-share-fiber-infrastructurewith-licensed-operators/ https://subtelforum.com/telecom-namibia-and-paratus-secure-equiano-branch/ https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/paratus-telecom-namibia-to-land-equianocable-2021-02-17 https://economist.com.na/59232/headlines/telecom-and-paratus-announce-majorpublic-private-partnership-to-connect-namibia-to-googles-new-undersea-cable/ https://www.namibian.com.na/99093/read/Second-submarine-internet-cable-to-landin-Namibia https://itweb.africa/content/PmxVEMKlwyAqQY85
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DEDICATION ARTICLE
WOMEN IN INDUSTRY Women In Leadership positions Interview with Mrs. Foibe L Namene Interviewed by Ms. Kina Indongo (Communications Specialist - RDJ Consulting)
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n this month’s “Women In Industry section of the RDJ Briefing, we had the honour of speaking to Mrs.Foibe Louise Namene, whose extraordinary show of leadership serves as an inspirational representation to women of all walks of life.
Personal Journey Mrs. Namene is a trained Lawyer and admitted Attorney of the High Court of Namibia, She holds a Masters of Economic Law Degree from the University of Namibia and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Law. Mrs. Namene is also a trained Senior and Executive Business Manager. Her impressive experience includes her
work for the Legal Assistance Centre as a Centre Coordinator for the Ongwediva Office In 1990. She then later joined the Ministry of Justice, Office of the Government Attorney, and further in her career she joined the National Power Utility Company (NamPower) in 1996 as a Chief Legal Officer and worked there in different capacities until May 31, 2014 when she joined the Electricity Control Board (ECB).
Professional Journey Mrs. Namene was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the ECB on the 1st of June 2014. Although this was her first time at the helm of an www.rdjpublishing.africa
institution this was not her first senior position. Her leadership experience started at NamPower where she worked as head of several Business Units including the country’s first ever Energy Trading Unit for several years. “I joined a young and vibrant team of professionals, who are very committed and driven. they challenge me and kept me on my toes which was good” Mrs. Namene, muses this as an advantage because in her position as a Regulator she aims not to look at things from a personal perspective but from an industry perspective, “what better way than being in the company of these young vibrant teams that help
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you to see the bigger picture, this clearly demonstrates that young people do not only have concerns and complaints but they have solutions and suggestions.” Mrs. Namene adds. She further explains how she has learned from them in the same way, she hopes her team is also learning from her. Additionally, She has watched the industry reforming and transforming itself, “the changes have been massive and like a lot of things over the past three decades they have all been driven by the development in the technological space”, and “I have also seen the increasing need of our people and the hunger for access to energy and a better life.” Explains Mrs. Namene. When speaking of her contributions and changes to the ECB, Mrs. Namene says “Contributions and changes are not an individual achievement and, in any institution, remains a team effort.” Because a Regulator cannot be a single person but rather it has to be an institution with clearly defined roles and support from all stakeholders in order for it to be able to drive the changes that are needed for the industry of the future . “I was lucky to come into an institution that had a solid foundation laid by my predecessor the late Siseho Simasiku.” The changes Mrs. Namene has taken part in are part of the concept of “we rise together as a team”. Her team has seen new policies coming into effect with the review of the White Paper on Energy Policy and the country’s first Renewable Energy Policy, the Independent Power Producers (IPP) Policy and Investment Framework are some of the changes that her team has spearheaded or were involved in. Mrs. Namene expresses pride in the Namibian Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT) Program that has been initiated by the ECB. This particular program has led to a number of renewable energy IPPs being able to
be involved in the industry and contributing to the country’s energy portfolio. This is considered an achievement coming from a couple of years ago when the country had only one Independent Power Producer. The ECB was instrumental in the development and establishing the Net Metering Rules that paved the way for individuals to install solar panels on their roofs and get credit from the service providers. The ECB is also proud of the two Mechanisms established to address affordability and access, The National Electricity and Electrification Support Mechanisms respectively, but their pride and joy is the Modified Single Buyer Market Framework (MSB) which became effective 1st September 2019 which allow the Eligible Sellers and Contestable Customers to be able to directly transact with each other.
Challenges
Mrs. Namene has had her fair shares of ups and downs but she says that “ I do not allow that to hold me back, I look at myself as a person who is extremely focused and driven, with a bullish passion for energy and for what I do.” Mrs. Namene explains that it is well known that in the work environment women face many challenges, some being the demand on their time, energy and resources and at times gender discrimination in business. She expresses that in her career “I had to overcome many obstacles placed in my way by some of my superiors either because their principles differed or simply because they had certain expectations and views of how women should behave” Mrs. Namene boldy adds “as unacceptable as some of those challenges and behavior might have been I embraced them , I viewed them as bricks needed to build a strong foundation, part of character building and part of moulding who I am.” She believes that Namibia has policies and legislation as a country
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that are supportive of recognizing the capabilities and value of women. She believes that women are being judged on their capabilities and expertise and on what they bring to the table and not based on their gender. “It is still tough out there and women executives are still in the minority. I am also lucky to find a lot of support and mentoring in men and women both in and outside the industry.” Mrs. Namene adds.
The Future of Namibia's Electricity
Namibia has a well-developed Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) that has many features common with the best practices around the world .We have some of the leading practices and regulations in the region and we have to be proud of that. We will see IPPs strengthening their presence in the country as is already evident, this will enable us to reduce our dependencey on imports. Renewable Energy is becoming an important part of our generation portfolio. The implementation of the MSB will also lead to increased competition. Electrification of rural and peri urban communities through mini grids and home systems will gain popularity.
Conclusion Mrs. Namene’s advice to women who would like to follow in her footsteps is “Do not limit yourself. Become involved in the collective. Learn, explore and challenge yourself. Work harder to strengthen ties with women in the sector from different parts of the world. If you make mistakes, learn from them and move on.” She goes on to explain the time has come for women to rise to the occasion and work alongside their male counterparts. “Be unapologetic about it and deliver your best. It is not going to be easy but if mountains were smooth nobody would have been able to climb them.”
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2021 HI GHLI GHT ARTI CLE
JANUARY, 2022
YOUTH IN ACTION Interview with Mr. Valde Leonard Interviewed by Ms. Kina Indongo (Communications Contributor - RDJ Consulting)
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his month we had the honour of speaking to Mr. Valde Leonard, a young visionary bringing home grown authentic native food to the national spotlight.
Personal Journey Mr. Leonard went to primary school in Aus, a settlement in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia. He then went on to complete his secondary school education in Keetmanshoop. Finally completing his tertiary education at the University of Namibia where he studied as a para veterinarian or simply a veterinary nurse. Mr. Leonard is a veterinary nurse/para veterinarian by profession, he spent a year and eight months in the vet industry before turning his focus to VNA Native Foods full time.
VNA Native Foods VNA Native Foods is a business that aims to professionally package and distribute Namibian Native foods. VNA Native Foods first became a concept in 2017, one year after the founder - Mr. Leonard left University. The business was created with the aim of adding value to indigenous Namibian food, and empowering native Namibians. Mr. Leonard was inspired to pursue the business when he noticed that supermarkets in Namibia did not sell indigenous Namibian food. Additionally, his entrepreneurial background helped him realize his dream. He said that "my mother sells traditional brews, and I was involved in her business since childhood.”. Mr. Leonard says his drive is motivated by his strong
desire to help others and himself escape the cycle of poverty as his company employs and empowers rural women. “My company has started a first of its kind project www.rdjpublishing.africa
whereby we acquire our spinach on a contract harvesting and farming system from rural women all over Namibia” said Mr. Leonard.
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Challenges As we know no great journey is without great sacrifice. Some of the challenges Mr. Leonard has faced in his pursuit as a young entrepreneur, was breaking into the industry, as finding the shelf space in established supermarkets was increasingly difficult. Additionally, a lack of financial aid was a great challenge. Mr. Leonard’s desire is that local commercial banks provide more financial support to fund Namibian
start-up entrepreneurs in their pursuit to self-employment and development. Despite his struggles, Mr. Leonard had the opportunity to realize one of his childhood dreams of being his own boss, “and do things according to how I believe they should be done. Therefore I can say that my current position is one of my biggest personal achievements” Said Mr. Leonard. “I believe VNA Native Foods will become the go to brand for all Namibian and African food lovers” He added.
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Conclusion
In conclusion Mr. Leonard encourages young entrepreneurs to Believe in Jesus Christ, and to be dedicated to one goal. He adds that youth need to focus and “Stop being a jack of all trade and a master of none.” He advises the youth to work extremely hard, be innovative but above all, let the Holy Spirit be your guide.
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YOUTH IN ACTION
Interview with Ms. Charmaine Musheko Interviewed by Ms. Kina Indongo (Communications Contributor - RDJ Consulting)
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his June we had the exciting opportunity to speak to Charmaine Musheko, an aspiring youth in the software engineering world.
Personal Journey Ms. Musheko studied with the Google Scholarship Program and Andela, where she did Android Development and is waiting to write her official certification. She had studied up to her third year at the University of Thailand, where she studied Mechatronics Engineering however, due to circumstances out of her control she couldn’t complete it. She does however plan to complete her studies but in Software Engineering this time, starting this June. Ms. Musheko is currently engaged in an internship at Green Enterprise Solutions as a Software Engineer specializing in Mobile App Development using Swift, Java, Python and Kotlin. With a special interest in Robotics(Mechatronics) which she intends to pursue within Green as well.
ICT Industry Some of the tech advancements that excite Ms. Musheko are cryptocurrency, AI and Machine Learning, life-like robots like Sophia, how apps are enhancing administration in occupational places and acting as a liaison just like Taxi Connect, virtual reality and augmented reality. “Honestly, there are quite a few that peak my interest. It'll take a while to mention them all”. Said Ms. Musheko. www.rdjpublishing.africa
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On whether Namibia has targeted investments in youth and Women Ms. Musheko says “Well, I believe that Namibia is trying to get many women interested in tech, with programs like Pyladies, aimed at getting women interested in coding in python and other coding languages, there is definitely an agenda towards achieving this, however I believe that funding aimed for women is more of a global agenda than a local one, Namibia is still growing in terms of tech and innovation so the emphasis is on tech as a whole and not so much on just women.”
Challenges According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), only 19% of women reach executive levels in the ICT sector a statistic Ms. Musheko says she understands “within my studies and not my work environment cause it has been quite great and accommodating to women in ICT, there was prejudice that we as women can’t do a lot of things nor understand the work placed before us, that you would be better suited in a different field and that has put my self-esteem down quite a lot during my studies.” However, when she could no longer pursue her studies, she took every opportunity in the IT field and the most outstanding being the Google Scholarship, out of which she created her first app which made the top 100 in the program. Ms. Musheko says “From that point onwards the future was not as bleak as I thought it would be.”
studied computers and gadgets, and they became quite easy to use eventually.” Said Ms. Musheko. Ms. Musheko says her motivation is more of a passion honestly, “I push myself to achieve because the economy isn’t doing well and you could very easily end up without a job. The things I work on or innovate today, could very easily be someone’s job tomorrow or source of hope. Namibia in itself does not have many things being manufactured, I’d like to change the narrative for that. I also believe that my greatest source of strength is God, because without Him, the ability to believe in myself even when everything around me seems to be falling apart, wouldn’t be this obvious.” On her greatest personal accomplishment Ms. Musheko says creating an app that was chosen to be part of the top 100 in a program where thousands participated all over Africa, this app was an idea to allow the average Namibian to have something like metro card, that way less money exchanges during this pandemic which is also a safer option to carrying cash around, it may also be a means to saving, for those who see it that way.
Motivations and Accomplishment On what motivates her to pursue her goals “I’ve always loved tech, I loved the complexity of understanding gibberish if you could put it that way, since my High school days, I’ve www.rdjpublishing.africa
Conclusion Drawing from her personal triumph Ms. Musheko relates her personal experience with set backs as her parting advice for other youths. “I really thought that without completing my degree, I wouldn’t get my dream job, I thought that I should just go and do something mediocre because I didn’t have the money to complete my studies nor do anything else, but I took an opportunity that not everyone would take seriously to build a small skill, I studied day in and out for 6 months to achieve this goal. This eventually got me a job where there is integrated learning which I am so thankful for because my skill set has definitely expanded. I believe that if you put your mind to it, you’ll definitely get past the obstacles in life and you won’t need much but God and a zeal for what you love. I also encourage the ladies to innovate, not a lot of people know this but many pioneers of programming are women, it is definitely our forte to push past what we believe to be difficult and try our best to reach the stars.”
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JANUARY, 2022
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JANUARY, 2022
CONRIBUTING AUTHORS
David Jarrett (Managing Consultant) RDJ Consulting Services CC
Chilombo Olga Priscila (Operations Manager / Economist) RDJ Consulting Services CC
Kina Indongo (Communications Contribiutor) RDJ Consulting Services CC
Monique Jarrett (Environmental Biology intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
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