RDJ Briefing - May 2020 by RDJ Briefing

MAY, 2020

The Namibia

ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY News & Analysis

COVID-19 and the “New Normal” Women and Youth Face up to the Challenges

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE: The Namibian Economy in the Covid-19 Era

Financial Assistance for Employees Affected by Covid19

Slump in Global Oil Prices Lead to Local Fuel Prices Decrease

Women In Industry Youth In Action E-Learning During National Lockdown

The NAMIBIA Country Briefing of RDJ Consulting

RDJ CONSULTING SERVICES CC. Energy & Sustatinability

WHAT WE OFFER EXPERIENCE Utility and Mining, On grid and Off-grid, Rural community understanding (Africa, Asia and Caribbean) PROJECT Assessments and supervision, including procurement (bidding / tender documentation) ESS Environmental Impacts along with scoping and site assessment DATA Data collection, data verification, modelling and referencing against national data sets TRAINING Onsite, Offsite and planned training modules to align people with project objectives PUBLICATIONS Blog sets, Weekly summaries and Monthly "briefing" publications

C O N T E N T S

From The Editor

Quick Facts

Economy at Large

Oil & Gas

Uranium

Electricity

Renewable Energy

Water

The Environment & Sustainability

Roads and Transport

Telecommunications

Financing

"Women in Industry"

"Youth in Action"

Tenders and Careers

Contributing Authors

MAY, 2020

From the Editor COVID-19 and the “New Normal” Women and Youth Face up to the Challenges Dear Reader,

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@rdjconsulting.co.za WEBSITE www.rdjconsulting.co.za

There is no way for us to avoid discussing how we deal with or manage the effects of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Since our last publication (April 2020), the stark realities of a “New Normal” has now taken hold and governments are trying to balance “health and wealth”. The recent revelations of three new Covid-19 cases which has come about just as Namibia is contemplating increasing the social and economic activities, has put a query in all our minds as we await confirmation of Stage 3. Namibia’s neighbours are all going through similar measures and challenges which as a result mean that Government’s need to effectively co-ordinate their efforts if any further progress is to be made for 2020. So the month of May has brought reduced prospects in Mining and Tourism, along with questions around stimulus funds true impact on economies going forward. There however is light at the end of the tunnel with local tourist establishments waking up to the reality that local tourism can be tapped as a life line. Added to this uptick, Namport has provided safe refuge for many sea going vessels that need temporary docking facilities while the world gets its house in order. Air Namibia has finally answered to its competitive advantage and resumed domestic flights and so we look forward to a revised strategy that uses this as the core of its mandated function. In line with local strengths that are to be greatly relied on, our two features on “Women” and “Youth” this month feature another set of talented Namibian’s that are growing from strength to strength. So are we ready for the “New Normal"? To find out more, please enjoy reading this Publication which was carefully prepared for you by our interns and do join our conversations on Twitter and Wordpress . Further, if you are new to the RDJ Briefing, subscribe to this FREE Publication at briefing@rdjconsulting.co.za and freely share the link with others that will benefit from its contents. Enjoy, #Stay Safe and Comments are welcome….

(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 Population size: 2.3 Million Employment: 66.6% Literacy rate: 89.0% GDP Growth (2018): -0.1% Repo Rate: 4.25% Interest rate (Prime): 8.00% Inflation (CPI): 1.6% Industries: Tourism, Mining, Fishing Telecom (sophistication): LTE Mobile - cell phones: 2.575 million Subscribers Water availability: 8 800 000 cubic litres/capita Electricity Gen. (Local): 484.000 MW Electricity Demand (all): 629.000 MW

MAY, 2020

THE ECONOMY AT LARGE An Overview of the NCPI March 2019/ 20

Readings:

AUTHOR: Ms. Naemi Shoopala Head - Research @ RDJ Consulting

2019. Other categories that promoted a slow-down in the inflation observed were the Food and non-alcoholic beverages that account for 16.5 percent of the overall basket of NCPI and fell to 2.9 percent from 5.8 percent in March 2019; as well as the Transport category that accounts for 14.3 percent of the overall NCPI basket but slowed down to 4.4 percent from 7.0 percent in March 2019.

www.bon.com.na https://d3rp5jatom3eyn.cloudfront.net/cms/assets/documents/NCP I-March_2020.pdf www.bon.com.na https://d3rp5jatom3eyn.cloudfront.net/cms/assets/documents/NCP I-Jan_2020.pdfht

he Namibia Consumer Price Index (NCPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services,

such as transportation, food, and medical care in Namibia. NCPI is used as the basis to calculate the rate of inflation as experienced by consumers. The calculations are done using more than 9000 prices of goods and services of a sample of representative items whose prices are collected periodically (monthly), from more than 900 retail outlets in 8 localities. the Inflation being calculated can then be defined as a rise in the general price level of the afore mentioned consumer goods and services. Namibian inflation is largely determined by three categories of the overall NCPI basket, namely: (i) Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; (ii) Food and nonalcoholic beverages; and (iii) Transport, which make up just under 60 percent of the total inflation basket. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco make up an additional 12.6 percent of the basket. The four largest categories added together represents about 70 percent of the total basket and have a greater impact/ influence on the overall inflation compared to other categories which represent a smaller percentage of the basket. NCPI started at a low 2.1% in Jan 2020, before increasing to 2.5% in February, and then decreasing to 2.4 in March 2020 as reported in the Bank of Namibia’s official website. The figures recorded in March 2020 show a decrease of 2.1% from the 4.5% recorded in March of the preceding year. The deceleration in the annual inflation between March 2020 and March 2019 emerged mainly from the categories of Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels which account for 28.4 percent of the overall basket of NCPI, that declined by 0.3 percent in March 2020 compared to an increase of 2.1 percent recorded in March

Standard Bank Reduces Interest Rates

ith a zeal to give more relief to its customers in the current hard times caused by Covid-19, Standard Bank has decreased its prime lending rate (loans, advances and deposits interest rates) by 1% as of 16th April 2020. The reduction emerged after the Bank of Namibia reduced its Repurchase rate (repo rate) from 5.25% to 4.25%. According to a statement realised on 16th April, 2020, the bank is also offering: a 25% discount on Cellphone Banking and third-party payments, an extension on capital and interest payment holidays to customers in the tourism and hunting sectors as well as SMEs whose income is impacted by Covid-19, a 0% interest on Student loans in good standing and a cut on all transactional fees linked to Value Added Services (VAS) which include electricity purchases, TV subscription, MTC/ TN mobile prepaid-airtime and contracts.

Readings: www.bon.com.na www.standardbank.com.na https://www.standardbank.com.na/namibia/STANDARD-BANKANNOUNCES-1%25-REDUCTION-IN-INTEREST-RATES-IN-MITIGATIONOF-COVID19

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

A Twist to Namibia's Top Exports Destination

Figures are a representation of Namibia's top five Export destinatiomns as well as its top five Import sources.

n January 2020, a month after China detected its first COVID-19 case, global trading was affected, and Namibia predicted a negative impact on trade through

an article titled “Covid-19 a Threat to SADC Regional Economy” published by NAMPORT I April 2020. However, since then, no actual statistics were available at that point to measure the severity of the situation, until now that the Namibian Statistics Agency (NSA) has released the Trade Statistics Bulletins that have indicated a downward trend in exports from N$6 339 million in January 2020 to N$4 883 million in February 2020, showing a 23% decrease. Imports however followed an obverse trend with a 9% increase from N$7,520 million in January 2020 to N$8 200 million in February 2020. In the first quarter of 2018, China scooped first place as Namibia’s top exports destination, surpassing South Africa. However, this was short lived as south Africa regained its spot back in the first quarter of 2020. The NSA Trade Statistics report for February 2020 indicate South Africa as Namibia's top export destination and main source of imports.

Namibia trade continues to be concentrated to a few trading partners and key commodities and this can be interpreted either as the existence of a struggle to diversify, or in light of COVID-19, it can be taken as the negative effect of the virus and how badly it has affected international trade. The top 5 export destinations for Namibia are South Africa, China, Botswana, Spain and Canada while the country imported mostly from South Africa, Zambia, Peru, India, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Readings: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061342 https://www.namport.com.na/news/656/COVID-19-A-THREAT-TOSADC-REGIONAL-ECONOMY/ http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/19/c_137265565.htm https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061342 https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/crisis-solutions/covid-19.html https://www.namport.com.na/news/656/COVID-19-A-THREAT-TOSADC-REGIONAL-ECONOMY/ www.nsa.org.na http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/19/c_137265565.htm https://www.namibian.com.na/90433/read/SA-the-top-tradepartner-in-Feb https://www.tralac.org/resources/our-resources/14013-namibiaintra-africa-trade-and-tariff-profile.html

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

The Namibian Economy in the Covid 19 Era

amibia and the world at large continue the fight against Covid-19 that have driven economies in the opposite direction of recovery. The Covid-19

pandemic has taken a toll on almost all sectors, leaving the economy faced with rapidly changing scenarios and despite some positive impacts like the fuel prices drastically dropping, a larger portion of the labour force is still sitting at home, and production has largely ground to a halt since stage one (the beginning of lockdown) to present. Before the outbreak of the virus, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) had projected an economic growth of 1.9% for the year 2020. This hope for an economic turning point after four consecutive years of recession has been shattered and turned into the worst fear as projections now follow the trend of the impacts created by Covid-19 and the uncertainty of its duration. According to the economic outlook update published by BoN in April 2020, the projection is estimated to be a contraction of 6.9%. When the unforeseen closure of most places came into play, the economy automatically started contracting due to little or no production which led to the government to tap into its reserves to assist those in the sectors hardly hit by the lockdown and as a result are unable to make an income. At the same time, the government had to ensure the health sector had proper infrastructures in the right conditions and in the right places to tackle Covid-19, while also subsiding other sectors such as aviation, tourism, and construction sectors to keep them afloat and save jobs and in turn, save the economy. The Minister of Finance said that an amount of N$5.9 billion was spent directly on business support, cash flow acceleration payments for services rendered to the government and households as well stimulus given as Emergency Income Grant (EIG). Some of the funds were redirected from other projects not deemed essential in the current situation. Other effects of the Covid-19 will be long term and as the projections continue, the finance ministry has anticipated revenue losses of up to N$10 billion, emanating from the now wiped out contribution from the Tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The ministry further expects a 10 to 12% loss in taxes collected as the coronavirus pandemic further obliterates

AUTHORS Ms. Naemi Shoopala Head - Research @ RDJ Consulting

Ms. Misozi Mugala Researcher @ RDJ Consulting

the economy. The ministry was also supposed to table the national budget as we approached a new financial year, but due to the uncommon nature of the situation, it is now pushed to a late date which is yet to be announced. Some of the effects experienced by Namibia are emerging as a global crisis sponsored by the pandemic. The quarterly report released by International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indicated a more severe case for developing countries with close economic ties to China and Europe, following a decline in production. Namibia's top exports are all minerals heading to China and Europe, but lately, commodity prices have dropped due to mounting global fears of the virus. Even though The decline in Namibia’s GDP as a result of all the above mentioned is expected to be large, it is hard to make correct projections since the situation is ever changing on a daily basis and while things have gotten very complicated during the national lockdown, the new stage 2 which the country is currently in, is slowly bringing back faith as most companies resume duty.

Readings: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo https://www.bon.com.na/getattachment/e88c41e4-921a-4399-af2833a62b8d0f00/.aspx https://www.namibian.com.na/199723/archive-read/Govt-rolls-outN$81b-Covid-19-stimulus https://www.namibiansun.com/news/billions-wiped-from-nationalbudget2020-05-10/ https://www.namibian.com.na/90211/read/Covid-19-wipes-outpositive-economic-signals

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

Procedures for Self-Quarantine under Covid-19

Self-quarantine is recommended for individuals who have been directly exposed to the new Coronavirus or have history of travel in infected or heavily populated areas.

Stay at home.

Wash your hands.

Limit all your nonessential travels.

Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol or hand sanitizer.

Unless you're going out for food, medicines or other essentials.

Check your temperature. Check your temperature at least two times a day.

Watch for other symptoms. Aside from fever, Covid-19 symptoms include cough, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.

Practice social distancing. If you need to go out, maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from others.

Stay in a specific room. If you're sick or suspect yourself to be sick, it's best to stay in a designated room or area away from others. If possible, have a designated toilet and bathroom as well.

Call your doctor or hospital before visiting. If you need to seek medical attention whether for viral symptoms or other medical care reasons, contact your doctor or hospital ahead of time so they can prepare and take precautions for your arrival.

Source â&#x20AC;˘ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)

MAY, 2020

OIL AND GAS Slump in Global Oil Prices Lead to Local Fuel Prices Decrease

he Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies have decided to cut a deal that could see millions of barrels of oil per day

removed from a severely oversupplied oil market. The OPEC Plus Group announced that it will cut production by 9.7 million barrels a day for May and June. The cut is equivalent to almost 10% of global supply and will continue with lower reductions until April 2022 in an effort to stabilise global crude oil markets. The cuts would also be twice more than that made by the cartel during the global financial crisis. The deal is set to boost the oil prices and provide stability for the industry during the Covid-19 crisis. The production cuts are projected to provide a financial boost to Africa's oil and gas producers, in countries like Nigeria, Angola, South Sudan, Sudan, Gabon, Kenya, the Congo and Equatorial Guinea. Outside of Africa, Saudi Arabia and Russia are both cutting substantially more and are both expected to cut 23% of production from May to June 2020. Iran, Libya and Venezuela are exempted from production cuts, while Mexico is only cutting 100 000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, the British Petroleum-led project in Azerbaijan will have to cut production in May as well for the first time and take drastic measures to meet the OPEC deal. Although the new OPEC plus agreement was set to take effect as of the 1st of May 2020, OPEC’s fourth-largest producer, Kuwait, has already started to reduce crude oil supply to international markets. The oil sector has various facets, including oil exploration, drilling, refining and distribution to consumers. Thus, Oil prices affect companies in many sectors well beyond the oil industry. which potentially could have offset the benefits of a decline in oil prices. The currency depreciated by 14% in the of month of March compared to April after averaging N$16.60 per US dollar in March to an average of N$19 in April. However, the impact of the fall in oil prices was

May 2020 Fuel Prices

AUTHORS Ms. Naemi Shoopala Head - Research @ RDJ Consulting

Mr. Haikali N Malakia Research Intern @ RDJ Consulting

larger than the depreciation in the local currency. Because of these new developments in the global oil market, the price of oil and diesel in Namibia decreased by N$1 for the month of May. The new price for 95 octane petrol is N$10.35 per litre, while diesel 50ppm stands at N$11.13 per litre (effective since 6 May 2020). The fall in oil prices form exporting countries was however accompanied by a precipitous depreciation in the exchange rate between the Namibian dollar and the US Dollar. Local demand for oil has been negatively affected by the national lockdown as well. retailers’ sales are close to nothing while bulk fuel importers are only selling a fraction of what they normally sell, recouping less than they should on their investments. Because of the afore mentioned, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has decided to grant a 7c/l on the industry margin. The Ministry has also decided to further grant a temporary increase in the dealer margin of 50c/l for three months (May, June and July). This increase in the margins is set to assist retailers recover from the epidemic and hopefully offset the negative effects of the Covid-19 on the local oil market.

Readings: https://oilprice.com http://www.mme.gov.na/ https://www.namibian.com.na

N$ 11.35

N$ 11.13

per litre

95 Octane Unleaded Petrol

Diesel 50ppm

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

URANIUM

Rossing Uranium Mine. Image courtesy of www.namibianuranium.org

Diamond and Uranium Sectors Projections For 2020/21

ccording to an economic outlook update released by the Bank of Namibia in April 2020, the diamond and uranium sector is projected to shrink in 2020

before a recovery in 2021. The projections show that during 2020, the diamond and the uranium mining sector are both expected to decline by 14.9% and 22.4% in real terms, respectively. In 2021 however, the projection estimates an economic growth of 4.5% and 4.6% for both the diamond mining sector and uranium mining sector, respectively. The report also indicted that in the first quarter of 2020, there was 26.4% decrease in the production compared to the previous year’s first quarter.

"Uranium minerals were first recognized in the vicinity of today’s Rössing Mine in 1928.".

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

www.namibianuranium.org

MAY, 2020

ELECTRICITY ECB Keeps Bulk Electricity Tariff Unchanged

Image showing household electricity meter Image courtesy of RDJ Consulting

Image courtesy of www.ecb.org.na

n a public notice, the Electricity Control Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (ECB) Chief Executive Officer officially announced that there will be no increase on bulk electricity tariff

for 2020/21. The tariff will remain at N$1.65 per kilowatthour. The decision on tariffs is also applicable to NamPower bulk customers, including all Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs), Local Authorities, Regional Councils, and mines. The CEO also elaborated that in case of any electricity emergencies NamPower has been authorised to use N$50 million from the Long Run Marginal Cost (LRMC) Fund to

supplement fuel cost for the Van Eck and Anikas Power Plants. In addition, Ministry of Mines and Energy, through the National Energy Fund (NEF) also made available N$15 million to cushion the potential impact of an increase in distribution tariffs.

Readings: https://www.namibian.com.na/90592/read/Zero-bulk-electricitytariff-hike https://www.ecb.org.na/images/docs/Noticeboard/ECB%20announ cement%20%202020%20NP%20bulk%20tariff%20announcement_JPG.jpg

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

ELECTRICITY Baynes Hydropower Plant to Come to Life

Image courtesy of www.constructionreviewonline.com

he Namibian Government and that of Angola have signed an agreement in a joint venture to start the construction of the Baynes Dam by 2021, and

complete it by 2025. The project was initiated in Namibia in order to reduce the country’s dependence on electricity imports in 2005, after the Firm Power Contract (FPC) with Eskom came to an end and could not be renewed due to a critical power shortage experienced by South Africa at that time. Imports became awfully expensive, motivating the start of Baynes. Angola’s electricity generation is largely dominated by fossil fuels hence the government’s move to diversify its electricity mix. The site of the project is situated at river EL 400 approximately 40km downstream of Epupa falls and it develops the head from reservoir level 580, down to EL 380 with a 2Km long tailrace tunnel. The power station which will be run by NamPower is

expected to produce about 600 MW at mid-merit peaking capacity which will be shared 50/50 between Namibia and Angola. According to the information provided by NamPower, this project is a renewable energy project and its only contribution to the greenhouse gases are plants decaying within the dam basin. The estimated cost for the project is US$1.2 billion.

Readings: https://www.afrik21.africa/en/angola-namibia-concludedagreement-for-baynes-dam-construction-in-2021/ https://constructionreviewonline.com/2020/03/namibia-angola-todevelop-cross-border-baynes-hydroelectric-dam/ https://www.nampower.com.na/Page.aspx?p=222 https://www.afrik21.africa/en/angola-namibia-concludedagreement-for-baynes-dam-construction-in-2021/ https://www.mme.gov.na%2Ffiles%2Fpdf%2Fepupa%2Fch-6baynes-tech.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0W1ZA2BGdiX5t0o60F9ruZ https://www.nampower.com.na/Page.aspx?p=222

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

WATER Communities Receive Free Water Supply to Assist in Combating Coronavirus

ue to the lockdown caused by the spread of the pandemic, residents in many settlements have been failing to buy or access water. Knowing that

water availability and usage is considered as one of the most important ways to combat the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) as it is advised to wash oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands regularly, the local governorsand utilities have joined hands in assisting the communities that have been affected the most.

Opuwo Community The office of the governor of Kunene region has come up with a short-term strategy to provide water to people residing in informal settlements in Opuwo, while working on a long-term strategy for the future. Previously, residents in these areas had to buy containers of water to provide their families. Buying water during the lockdown became more difficult especially for people who lost their jobs and got negatively affected by the pandemic. Therefore, they have shown great appreciation for the gesture of providing water by their governor, and are all committed into saving as much water as possible. The governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office has received a donation of five 2 500-litre water tanks, making a total of 12 500 litres of water which was sent to Khorixas, Outjo and Kamanjab, amongst other places. The governor also informed that every informal settlement receives 20 000 litres of water, and up to three informal settlements are covered so far.

Reading: https://www.namibian.com.na/90370/read/Opuwo-residentsdelighted-by-water-distribution

Omaruru and Karibib Accessibility to water had been a luxury for some people living in the informal settlements of Omaruru and Karibib before the Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) donated eight 10 000-litre water tanks to their local authorities. Two water tanks were distributed amongst the informal settlements of Hakahana, 7de Laan, Sonskyn and Saamstaan, whilst the areas of Harambee and Uis received six tanks. After availing water to residents, the Omaruru mayor pleaded to the residents to practise social distancing when collecting water from the tanks or other communal water providing facilities. She further requested for those benefiting from the initiative to use water responsibly. For this project, the Karibib town council was assigned responsibility to refill the water tanks, and has already urged the public not to take this new development for granted by accumulating water at night and transporting it to their farms, because it will not give the motive of combating the virus any justice. Apart from water, NamPower also planned to donate 30 dry sanitation toilets to the Erongo region.

Reading: https://www.namibian.com.na/90374/read/NamPower-helpsKaribib-Omaruru-with-water-tanks https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus2019/technical-guidance/infection-prevention-and-control

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

2298 Tippy Taps Installed in Windhoekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Informal Settlements

Image showing Tippy Taps usage in an informal settlement. Image courtesy of https://www.namibian.com.na

n initiative in Windhoek has managed to build 2298 tippy taps in the informal settlements in a period of three weeks, as a means of preventing

contamination and the fast spread of Covid-19 among community residents. The tippy taps built are simple devices for handwashing with running water of which a container with a small hole near the cap is filled with water, tipped with a stick and rope tied through a hole in the cap. Which allows washing your hands without touching a tap and is very hygienic. The 18-month project is part of the Living Permaculture Project, which supports the innovative design and develops solutions for everyday living in informal settlements. The initiative by the Project was designed to

combat COVID-19 and a tippy tap is a good solution in living circumstances without running water like the informal settlement. With the aid of mainly recycled materials, 28 producers residing in the informal settlements built the handwashing devices in their neighborhoods. The initiative is greatly beneficial especially in informal settlements as it not only conserves water, but its modelling and practice are also an effective learning tool for young children to adapt easily.

Readings: https://economist.com.na/52806/environment/tippy-taps-assistinformal-communities-with-hygiene-maintenance/

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

THE ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY NamiGreen Triumphs in E Waste Recycling

MET Successfully Launched the CCFN

amiGreen has emerged as the leading local electronic waste (e-waste) recycling company in Namibia after recycling 10 000 computer

monitors, which is equivalent to a 100% increase from their 2019’s statistics. The company recorded 102 000 kg of e-waste recycled, which is approximately twice as much when compared to 50 000 kg from the previous year.

he Minister of Environment and Tourism (MET), successfully launched the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN) during the

the week of the 14th of February 2020. The fund is aimed at reducing dependence of the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) on external donor funding support.

NamiGreen CEO believes that the company’s focus on service, availability, and professional handling of e-waste might have played a role in attracting more customers than the years before 2019. 2020 forecasts gave hope that more growth will be achieved by the company and will once again surpass its previous e-waste recycling rates.

The programme was initiated to lighten the issue of restricted funding and provide a sustainable finance structure for long term support services to conservancies and community forests. Funds are ready and accessible to be invested and used responsibly in order to help the programme reach perpetuity.

The company provides other companies and organizations free e-waste collection services which can easily be accessed by calling them or going on their website (www.namigreen.com) to book an e-waste collection. The company has also provided E-waste bins to help citizens recycle used electronics and those that are no longer working. Such devices are to be placed simply in any of these bins to help the future of the country by protecting the environment through recycling.

The government, represented by the MET, CCFN and other partners have also played their part by making contributions to ensure that the project does not fail. The Fund creates an opportunity for Namibians to work together, bring resources and contribute for their own good and as well as that of the coming generations.

Reading https://economist.com.na/50779/environment/communityconservation-fund-of-namibia-successfully-launched/

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

ROADS AND TRANSPORT Taxi and Bus Fares Temporarily Increase d by 15%

Air Namibia Resumes Domestic Flights

he Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT) has endorsed a taxi and bus fare increase of 15% to soften the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the

income of public transport operators, effective as of 18 May 2020. The temporary increase by the Road Transportation Board (RTB) has triggered a mixed reaction by the public. This comes after the public transport sector, represented by Namibia Bus and Taxi Association, the Namibia Public Passenger Transport Association and Bridge Cross, requested for fare increases of 10%, 12% and 33% respectively. This is to make up for the fact that the operators can only fill buses and taxis up to 50% of their capacity, in terms of the Covid-19 state of emergency regulations. Thus, the ministry of works and transport announced a temporary increase of 15% on all bus and taxi fares; allude to substantial loss because of the social distancing measures effected to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This increase means public taxi users will now pay up to N$13.80 for a one-way trip, while those travelling longer distances to informal settlements will spend double the amount on one trip. The hike comes a week after the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) divided the burden of the fuel price fall between vehicle owners and service stations. However, the increase comes at the time when most employees’ salaries, have been reduced by 20%, while in extreme cases, cut in half. The private sector is one that is extremely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in transport is an additional cost to employees already facing a financial crisis. The decision, however, is a necessary step as the halving of the loading capacity of buses and taxis have a great impact on transport operators.

Readings https://www.namibian.com.na/91006/read/Passengerspay-for-lockdown-losses https://neweralive.na/posts/public-outraged-over-taxibus-fare-hike

Image courtesy of RDJ Consulting

ir Namibia has resumed duty and is flying again locally as of 6 May 2020, Following the announcement of stage 2 lockdown that has

allowed inbound travel of citizens without permits. While Regional and international flights remain suspended, Passengers can now fly between Eros and Ondangwa, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Lüderitz, Orangemund and Walvis Bay. As safety practices, Air Namibia will conduct mandatory temperature testing on all passengers before boarding every plane, and the airline also advises on strict usage of masks as required by the government.

Readings https://neweralive.na/posts/air-namibia-resumes-domestic-flights https://economist.com.na/52651/general-news/national-airline-toresume-domestic-flights-this-week/

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

Cargo Growth Hampered by Covid 19

Figures are a represenytation of Namibia's mode of transport for both Exports and Imports (Sea, Road and Air) .

fter the decision to lock the country down due to the COVID-19, The government of Namibia has left the ports open only for trade as an effort to

to control movements in and out of the country in order to curb the transmission of the virus. This Border closures and export bans are playing havoc with ports and transport corridors and disrupting cargo volumes but Despite the ports being closed for passengers and crews, cargo is still landing with workers adhering to strict safety measures introduced by Namport which has unfortunately slowed down the free flow trade at entry points. Cargo volumes were just beginning to bloom for Namibia. It was recently in August 2019 that Namport inaugurated a $200 million dollars port terminal at Walvis Bay, an

extension that saw the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s port capacity double from 350 000 containers to 750 000 per year. However, the advent of COVID-19 has caused serious disruptions in the growth of cargo volumes that have been building up over the years, causing a decline in this area.

Readings www.nsa.org.na https://safety4sea.com/namibia-launches-expandedwalvis-bay-port https://www.africanews.com/2019/08/03/namibiainaugurates-new-port-terminal// https://neweralive.na/posts/covid-19-disrupts-cargovolume-growth

Image Credit: https://www.cdc.gov/

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

TELECOMMUNICATIONS E Learning During National Lockdown

he world has been pressured into adopting alternative ways of conducting daily tasks that require human capital or human interaction. This

includes, among others, conducting business, education, and other forms of operations. Businesses and schools or institutions of higher learning which have been offering online services fell on the safe side of the equation in comparison to those operating traditionally. With the now imposed lockdown, organisations are fighting for survival as the performance of non-essential sectors face earthward. To remain competitive, companies are forced to adopt new technologies, change their business model and operational approaches. This article will focus on the Elearning method eyed by the Ministry of Education in light of the COVID-19 lockdown period. Learners and students are unable to physically attend their classes during the national lockdown, as a result, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture assessed its existing options for an immediate course of action to ensure the academic year is still going despite the circumstances. After careful consideration, the ministry identified e-learning as the wisest course open. E-learning can be defined as learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the Internet. The modus operandi includes teaching and learning through virtual classrooms via Google, Zoom, Moody and WhatsApp. The Ministry further scheduled a re-open of the schools on the 20th of April after their closure on the 16th of March 2020. The reopen was for schools to resume classes as planned but via e-learning platforms to prevent students from losing out on vital schoolwork. e-learning platforms will however not be used for the assessment of pupils, but only aim to stimulate them during the lockdown. The decision is however challenged by a number of issues.

AUTHOR: Ms. Naemi Shoopala Head - Research @ RDJ Consulting

Teaching through the internet is currently a vital and possible option for the ministry as they are still unable to rely on print but not all households have access to internet to enable children to do e-learning as the ministry has proposed. Some students in villages do not even have electricity. In the event that computers are available or there is access to internet in a household, a challenge of lack of computer literate persons to assist children is still high. Teachers are also not expected to travel to schools but are expected to carry out their duties through e-learning. This is also a concern as some teachers lack the necessary resources for e-learning and some may not be able to facilitate e-learning. There are 30 000 teachers countrywide and 804 000 pupils in state and private schools. Deputy Minister of Education Anna Nghipondoka revealed that only 13 000 pupils were able to access the Ministry’s e-learning platforms during the national lockdown. This is less than 2% of the total population of pupils in the country. The majority of these registered students are mainly from Khomas region, some from Oshana and a small number from the Omaheke region. Apart from these, the Ministry also faces other challenges at hand. For instance, 32% (or 614) of schools have no telecommunication connectivity, 18% (or 346) are without electricity, and 13% (or 250) have no access to proper sanitation. The deputy director also revealed that about 211 schools have no potable water.

Image is courtesy of https://www.moe.gov.na/

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

While the Ministry has been working tirelessly to ensure the academic year is being used productively, it was unfortunate that the programme was unable to be rolled out during the first stage of lockdown. However, stage one lockdown was successful in combating further spread of Covid-19 which helped the government to ease the rules and regulations governing the lockdown. The country is now in stage two of lockdown which allows free movement across the country without permits. This new stage has opened up operations within many sectors, including Education. The Ministry of Education has slated face to face teaching and learning for both teachers and learners for early June 2020.

Phase 1 grade 11 and 12- resume Wednesday, 3rd June 2020

Phase 2 grade 3-resume on Monday, 22 June 2020

The return of pupils for face to face lessons is divided into four phases outlined is divided in diffrerent phases.

Readings https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-ofelearning https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/e-learning https://www.namibian.com.na/90386/read/Govts-e-learningconundrum https://neweralive.na/posts/teachers-worry-about-e-learningefficacy https://www.moe.gov.na/news_article.php? id=290&title=Circular:%20Form.%20ED%203/2020%20%20Guidelines%20for%20Education%20Staff%20to%20ensure%20c ontinued%20Learning%20and%20Preparedness%20of%20school%2 0for%20the%20Resumption%20of%20Face-toFace%20tuition%20Post%20Covid-19%20National%20Lock-down https://www.namibian.com.na/90028/read/Govt-ponders-elearning-for-schools https://www.republikein.com.na/nuus/fear-as-schools-reopen-innamibia2020-04-21 https://www.namibian.com.na/199837/archive-read/Uncertaintyover-schools-reopening https://informante.web.na/namibian-schools-to-reopen-thismonth/

Phase 3 grade 7 and 9- resumes on Monday, 6 July 2020

Phase 4 grade 4, 5, 6 and 8resumes on Monday, 20 July 2020 Namibia Ministry Of Eduaction

"E-learnig has now become the new model of studying due to Covid-19"

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

FINANCING Additional Funding Support in the Fight Against Covid 19

e spread and lifespan of the Coronavirusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Covid19) utterly depends on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movements and actions now. The less the movements, the less the

contamination and the better the control of the virus as it reduces the possibility of asymptomatic people with COVID-19 from further infecting others in communities. The impossibility of shutting down the entire world until the pandemic passes, turns everyone responsible in protecting themselves, and in turn, also protecting others. The Government of Namibia (GRN) has been doing its part through its mandate and shut down non-essential services and activities in order to minimise movements, which has helped greatly in combating the spread of the virus. The country has managed to contain the virus during the national lockdown that was imposed on 26th of March to the 4th of May 2020. To-date, Namibia boasts of 11 patients that fully recovered and no new cases reported since 5 April 2020, apart from the current 5 that are already under medical care. While the lockdown has been proving a successful measure for the outbreak of the virus thus far, it has however left non-essential workers without jobs and income to sustain themselves. This has led to havoc and tempering with the willingness of citizens to abide by the rules and regulations that guided the lockdown. In order to assist the most affected and curb for the spread, many organisations and entities have given a hand. Despite the lockdown being lifted, assistance in several sectors is still required to continue practising safety measures everywhere and protect each other against the virus. The latest contributions made by different organisations include the following: FirstRand Namibia Group raised about N$10 million to help the government fight Covid-19, specifically by supporting the medical structures and resources responsible for providing testing and front-line protective care, as well as funding for the purchase of additional ventilators and addressing critical bed capacity. The funds were raised through FNB and RMB and will be disbursed through its newly established Health Optimisation Pandemic Fund (HOPE).

B2Gold Namibia (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of B2Gold Corp which is a broad-based economic empowerment group has been evidently working towards boosting the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme and has approved the allocation of N$6 million towards the fight of Covid-19. The funds will be divided between government interventions and non-governmental organization which operates through the Namibian Chamber of Environment, which is known as the Development Workshop of Namibia (DW). This will help them fund projects aiming at eradicating problems related to hygiene, sanitation, and food security in the informal residential areas of urban townships throughout the country. Meanwhile, the Erongo Regional Electricity Distributor Company (Pty) Ltd (Erongo Red) has given a sum of N$1 million, of which N$800 000 will be directed to help the less privileged communities to access sanitation and other means to curb for the spread of Covid-19 in Erongo region, and the remaining N$200 000 will go to the National Disaster Fund which was established to mitigate the further spread of covid-19 country wide.

Readings https://neweralive.na www.mhss.gov.na https://www.namibian.com.na

Outjo Constituency Receives Funding for Water Supply

donation of N$45 000 intended to obtain a water pump engine and improve water infrastructure in various settlements including the Balaleika

settlement farm, was given to Outjo Constituency Councillor by the Hai//Om Traditional Authority during April 2020. The donation was made in effort to assist those communities in the continued fight against the Covid-19 pandemic by having easier access to water. According to the constituency councillor, a report on the use of the donation is set to be handed in to the authorities once the project has been completed. Currently, about 120 households are expected to benefit from this new development, including the settlements of Seringkop, Balalaika, Werda and Toevlug.

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

Financial Assistance for Employees Affected by Covid 19 nemployment is a concerning issue in Namibia and the labour market is characterized by a number of serious imbalances, notably between aggregate

demand for and supply of labour, and between the skills required and those on offer. Job insecurity have been at an all-time high in Namibia even before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the existing situation has driven it beyond control. Several industries have come to halt while others have cut production because of COVID-19. Some are unable to make sales to break even and this has led to retrenchment of workers as companies are unable to pay wages during this time, while others have resorted to paying half wages in-order to keep operations. To lessen the burden and stabilise the situation, the government has intervened to cease mass retrenchments in several sectors through a wage subsidy of 17% offered to the private sector wage bill for three months (April, May & June). The sectors that will benefit from this include the aviation, tourism, and construction sectors. The programme is a joint effort between the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Social Security Commission (SSC), intended to discourage employers from retrenching employees in the short term and to provide support for individuals who have suffered a loss of income as a result of the covid-19 shock. About 7900 employers from the (three) selected sectors who have about 65 420 employees were slated to benefit from this programme which is budgeted at N$653 million (a sum of N$400 million from MoF and N$253 million from SSC).

To qualify however, individuals should at least be registered with SSC as at 1 February 2020 and have a proof of loss of income related to covid-19 as part of the application for the cash injection. The programme has already commenced, with the first payments already made in the first week of May 2020. People who lost income or experienced difficult circumstances during the lockdown were assisted through Emergency Income Grant which was introduced by the government through the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The once-off payment of N$750 was able to assist 576 104 out of 970 720 applicants. The MoF through commercial banks (First National Bank, Standard Bank, and bank Windhoek) was able to disburse about N$432 million since the commencement of the dis-bursement of funds on 14 April 2020. The grant ended midnight on 30 April, while verification of applications ended on 8 May 2020.

Readings http://www.namibiaatwork.gov.na/index.php/namibianunemployment-rate https://www.npc.gov.na/download/pbriefs/Analysing-YouthUnemployment.pdf https://economist.com.na/52574/general-news/combined-packageworth-n650-million-to-assist-companies-hit-hard-by-covid-19launched/ https://www.namibian.com.na/90674/read/Wage-subsidy-to-avoidretrenchments https://economist.com.na/52754/community-andculture/governments-emergency-income-grant-benefits-half-amillion-amid-covid-19-outbreak/

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

Risks to Namibia’s Financial Stability Continues To Increase

Building of the Central Bank of Namibia Image Source: https://www.bon.com.na

he latest Financial Stability Report (FSR) by the Bank of Namibia (BoN) indicates that risks to Namibia’s financial stability have increased

considerably since 2018 resulting from the economic shrinkage experienced in 2019, combined with the anticipated impact of Covid-19 going forward. Financial stability refers to promoting the development of sound and well-managed banking and other financial institutions as well as encouraging the development of efficient and well-functioning financial markets. Financial stability is vital as it reflects a sound financial system, which in turn is essential as it reinforces trust in the system and prevents phenomena such as a run on banks, which can destabilize an economy. Thus, a sound financial system signals to the public that their money is handled securely, and it is also crucial for savings, including pension savings. Apart from weak growth, Covid-19 poses a major threat to the already fragile global and domestic growth. Namibia has put in place measures to contain the spread of the pandemic as well as to mitigate its impact on the economy. These measures may mitigate the risks; however, should the risks occur, the impact on both the global and domestic economy will be severe. According to the FSR, the risks to financial stability in Namibia arouse from the banking sector’s payment and settlement systems, as well as the Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFI) sector, which all increased in 2019 when compared to 2018. It further notes that the banking sector risks have increased during the current period compared to December 2018 for the reason that Covid-19 pandemic poses a threat to the liquidity of the banks and the income of households and businesses, as some people are unable to meet financial obligations. To counter the risk, relief measures have been put in place by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the BoN and are expected to soften this impact to some extent and

help manage the risk. The Central Bank (BoN) has reduced the repo rate by cumulative 225 basis points in 2020, of which the last two reductions of 100 basis points each were intentional to mitigate the impact of COVID -19 on the economy. Another risk is related to Banking. During the year in review, payments system risks also increased due to an increase in the total value of fraud across all systems, elevating the risks associated with the security of retail payments. Hence, all account holders are advised to stay alert and report any suspicious cases of fraud. The Financial Stability Report noted that Namibia’s household and corporate indebtedness increased moderately in 2019 underpinned by short-term credit facilities and may pose risks to financial stability given Covid-19. The report indicates that annual growth in household indebtedness amounted to 7.3 percent during 2019 compared to 7.0 percent in 2018, driven by a demand for short-term credit facilities. Household debt to disposable income increased from 92.9 percent in 2018 to 97.7 percent in 2019 as credit extended to individuals continue to rise. Thus, policy responses to Covid-19 may support the cash flows of households and corporates in the short to medium-term with a probable softening of the threat to financial stability, even though a share may be utilized as contractual repayment of bank debt. Nonetheless, if the risks to financial stability originating from the COVID-19 pandemic occur, the impact on the financial system could be quite adverse.

Readings https://neweralive.na/posts/risks-to-namibias-financial-stabilityhave-increased-significantly-central-ban https://www.bon.com.na/CMSTemplates/Bon/Files/bon.com.na/7c/ 7c6d64e7-e79f-45f6-8bd9-a29c50789ff9.pdf https://www.bon.com.na/Bank/Financial-Stability/What-isfinancial-stability-and-why-is-it-importan.aspx

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

MAY, 2020

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

APRIL, 2020

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY Women In the Energy Indusrty Interview with Ms Lahja Amaambo Interviewed by Ms. Kina Indongo (Communications Specialist - RDJ Consulting)

n this month’s “Women In Industry” section of the RDJ Briefing, we had the privilege of speaking with Ms. Lahja Amaambo, whose extraordinary and extensive career in the energy sector serves as a pure and earnest representation of the various and inspiring stories of women in different industries in and around Namibia.

My dream has always been to be selfemployed and run a business.

Consulting Services In 2015 Ms. Amaambo left the National Power Utility Company of Namibia – NamPower, when she saw an opportunity of becoming a consultant on Renewable Energy. “My dream has always been to be self-employed and run a business. Based on the skills and experience I have, in early 2019 I established my own company, called Lahja Amaambo Consulting & Investments CC (LACI CC.). Now, am able to carry out a multitude of tasks” she said. Being a person who is open to learning and passionate about Renewable Energy and Environment, she thought to herself “why not moving forward?”And so, LACI CC. came to life!

Other Involvements Ms. Amaambo has an impressive involvement in the Energy Sector, including being a member of the Namibia Biomass Industry Group (NBig), an association with over 70 members, which keeps on growing. The N-Big hosts various events

Ms Lahja Amaambo

including training and annual exhibition of biomass products and technologies. “Wood biomass is used in the form of wood fuel for heating and cooking, and other applications. Products of biomass include wood chips, charcoal, briquettes, animal feed, wood poles, fertilizers etc. Wood chips can even be used as fuel for power plants.” Ms. Amaambo explained.

Academic Journey Her professional journey began with her first degree in Chemistry, obtained in 1989. After this academic milestone, Ms. Amaambo www.rdjconsulting.co.za

was unable to secure a job at an industrial laboratory as a Chemist. Instead of allowing this setback to derail her plans she started working as a teacher of Science and Mathematics for about two years at Ipumbu Secondary school in Oshakati. Towards the end of 1991, she entered the Energy Sector where she worked as an Energy Researcher on Renewable Energy at different levels in the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), for about 9 years. At the MME Ms. Amaambo got exposure to various tasks such as Rural Electrification and their alternative method, as well as Energy Policy Development.

MAY, 2020

I hope that Namibia will one day rely a 100% on its own energy resources for power generation and supply. Ms Lahja Amaambo

From 1995 to 1996 Ms. Amaambo studied towards her master’s degree in Renewable Energy and Environment to deepen her knowledge of the Energy Sector. To further complement her knowledge and skills, she obtained a Diploma in Business Management, which was followed by many other relevant short courses such Project Management, Procurement Management and so on.

Professional Journey In the early 2000, Ms. Amaambo joined NamPower, where she worked as Head Renewable Energy for 15 years of heading. When questioned about her job description, she explained that “Apart from my supervisory role at the department, I was involved in managing some projects like, Administration of solar revolving fund; construction of some power transmission stations; wind energy resource assessment, Managing the

pre-feasibility studies on the utilization of biomass wood chips for electricity generation”. Ms. Amaambo is currently involved with awareness raising on alternative sources of energy. "In Namibia, back in the 90’s, the targeted areas for solar photovoltaic systems for lighting, water pumping, use of low voltage appliances, telecommunication etc., were predominantly recommended for remote areas where then electricity grid could not reach. Later on, opportunities to develop bigger renewable energy power plants that could be connected to the national electricity network came to life with application of modern technologies that speed up electricity generation, and such technologies became commercially available. Being at the foreground of new avenues now open for the expansion of alternative sources of energy in Namibia “I developed the love of talking about the use of alternative sources of www.rdjconsulting.co.za

energy for various applications.” says Ms. Amaambo

Challenges Like any industry she added, there are always some challenges. "Consulting Services is a multi-task job that requires work with experts. Furthermore, Namibia’s Energy sector is a small market with very competition, and hence some public tenders do not always accommodate small and local companies". Some personal challenges Ms. Amaambo faces are marketing her business attracting customers; unscrupulous business practices such as those that do not make full payments receiving her services; as well as diversifying sources of potential jobs to remain afloat in business.

Conclusion "I hope that Namibia will one day rely a 100% on its own energy resources for power generation and supply."

APRIL, 2020

YOUTH IN ACTION Global Shapers Windheok Hub Interviewed by Ms. Kina Indongo (Communications Specialist - RDJ Consulting)

o bring you inspiring Youth Entrepreneurship news in the “Youth In Action” section of the RDJ Briefing, RDJ had the opportunity to interview and find out more about the Global Shapers Community Windhoek hub. These are young extraordinary individuals between the ages of 20-29 who are committed towards improving the state of their city, demonstrate great potential and are interested in improving their leadership potential.

About Global Shapers The Global Shapers Community is a network of registered NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) in various cities. Each hub is responsible for the financing and sustaining of their respective city hubs. Members of this community pay a monthly fee as part of their contribution towards keeping the hubs afloat, but no financial incentives are offered to them for any of the work they do, as it is all voluntary. Founded by Ms. Ally Angula in 2014, the primary objectives of the Global Shapers Community in Windhoek (Windhoek hub) are to: create safe spaces wherein pertinent issues that directly affect the youth are addressed in action-based dialogues and collectively channel their knowledge, skills, expertise, and energy towards cultivating a culture of being proactive in their pursuit to positively impact the society.

"Dare to do big and achieve big." Ms Helena Kandjumbwa Since its opening, the team has been engaging in various community projects such as The Entrepreneurship Symposium hosted under the theme “The Youth and the Economy”, which addressed the concerns of the mass unemployed youth, considering the current economic dispensation, by engaging in dialogue premised around harnessing one's knowledge and skills to provide a service that has high income yielding potential, so as to cultivate a sound entrepreneurial culture that echoes innovation and proactivity amongst www.rdjconsulting.co.za

the youth. At present, the Windhoek hub has members who operate in varying professional disciplines such as Law, Politics, Diplomacy and International Relations, Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Academia, Public Health, Social Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Media, to name a few. According to the Global Shapers Windhoek Hub Curator, Ms. Helena Kandjumbwa, “the Global Shapers Community is an epicenter for diversity and inclusion”.

MAY, 2020

"The Global Shapers Community is an epicenter for diversity and inclusion" Ms. Helena Kandjumbwa

Projects and Involvement Since then it has been engaging in various community projects such as: The Entrepreneurship Symposium – this was hosted in 2019 under the theme “The Youth and the Economy” and it addressed the concerns of the mass unemployed youth, considering the current economic situation. The symposium engaged dialogues premised around harnessing one's knowledge and skills to provide a service that has high income yielding potential, so as to cultivate a sound entrepreneurial culture that echoes innovation and pro-activity amongst the youth. The Young Voter Engagement Forum – the Forum was hosted under the theme “The Youth and the Government Elections 2019”. Ms. Kandjumbwa informed RDJ during the interview that the rational for the forum was to establish a platform wherein a host of factors that attribute to the disconnect between the youth and the government could be addressed, in the hope that it encourages active and intentional participation of

youth and essentially, a voter turnout that reflects these aspirations. Some of their more heartwarming activities include their “Mass Baby shower”, an event organized for mothers who hadn’t the means to provide the basic essentials their new-born required after birth. Essential items such as diapers, clothing, baby bottles and blankets were donated to these mothers at the Katutura State Hospital Maternity Ward. Another donation of mattresses to the Katutura Hospital Children’s Ward was also made in fulfilment of their commitment towards giving back to the community, and the funds were taken from the organization’s internal budget. Another recent and notable activity is the Global Shapers Covid-19 Emergency Response. The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it some unprecedented challenges that demanded the attention and heed of the public. “Our Hub purchased protective equipment and items such as surface cleaning detergents, hand sanitizers, masks and gloves to be used in a pre-primary school in the www.rdjconsulting.co.za

Havana informal settlement. The school, which has a day-care division remained open during the lockdown, allowing parents who provide essential services to have their infants taken care of whilst at work. One of our shapers who is a Public Health Practitioner hosted an information session about the virus, debunking myths and addressing false information surrounding the virus and how one can contract it for the staff and parents present” said Ms. Kandjumbwa.

Advice to the Youth Advice to youth in Namibia hoping to change their communities similar to that of the Global Shapers Community is to be proactive and very intentional about their progress within your community. “Dare to do big and achieve big. As a team, we continuously remind ourselves that we have absolutely nothing to lose by attempting a project, irrespective of its magnitude. If it succeeds, great. If it fails, even better, because that will be the pad from which we launch the next time around” concluded Ms. Kandjumbwa.

MAY, 2020

TENDERS

CAREERS

+264 61 400 171

SUBSCRIBE FOR CONTINUOUS UPDATES

APRIL, 2020

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

David Jarrett (Managing Consultant) RDJ Consulting Services CC Chilombo Olga Priscila (Operations Manager) RDJ Consulting Services CC Naemi Shoopala (Head - Research) RDJ Consulting Services CC Misozi Mugala (Research Intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC Haikali Ndafimana Malakia (Research Intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC Kina Indongo (Communications Specialist) RDJ Consulting Services CC Lydia Kalilo Namutenya (Research intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC

www.rdjconsulting.co.za

To Advertise Contact marketingcomm@rdjconsulting.co.za +264 61 400 171

Find Us Kolbe Street, Pioneers Park Windhoek, Namibia

Social Media