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Local trade, tourism burn over SA riots

FP Du Toit Transport, one of Namibia’s biggest transport firms, says the situation left it with no choice but to park all its trucks.
Cindy Van Wyk
ELLANIE SMIT and OGONE TLHAGE







WINDHOEK

The already-struggling trade and tourism sectors in Namibia could face huge economic ramifications if the prevailing rioting, looting and property destruction in South Africa is not quelled soon.

The violent social protests and looting, mostly playing out in the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng provinces, resulted in crowds clashing with the police and the ransacking and burning of shopping malls, with dozens reportedly killed as grievances over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma boiled over into the worst violence that country has seen in years.

With South Africa being a major supplier of goods and services to Namibia, economists fear that trade between the countries will not be spared.

Major transport routes such as the N1, N2 and N3 which link South Africa to its neighbours have been disrupted, making it difficult for transport companies to ferry goods.

Media reports suggest that more than 30 trucks were torched across KwaZulu-Natal last weekend, forcing most trucking companies to halt their operations.

FP Du Toit Transport, one of Namibia’s biggest transport firms, said the situation left it with no choice but to park all its trucks.

“All our trucks are currently standing at our depot in Johannesburg and distribution centres and warehouses in Johannesburg and Durban from where we have to collect loads,” the company’s CEO Stephan Terblanche told Namibian Sun yesterday.

He added: “Our trucks have not been making money since this past weekend because they are standing idle. We are doing this for the safety of our trucks and staff members”.

Terblanche said they anticipate a shortage of certain lines of consumer goods within the next two to eight weeks.

Economic pandemonium

Economist Salomo Hei warned that the ongoing riots will adversely impact Namibia’s trade regime, considering that South Africa accounts for 60% of the country’s trade balance.

“About 70% of all our imports come into the country via road. So, once you disrupt road infrastructure and supply chains, Namibia runs the risk of running out of essentials and soft commodities such as food,” he said on the Evening Review show yesterday.

He also warned that the ongoing riots, if not addressed, will impact Namibia’s ability to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I understand Afrox, which produces the oxygen we use here in our hospitals, considered halting their operations. This will certainly spill over into Namibia.”

Tourism conundrum

Spokesperson of the tourism ministry Romeo Muyunda said the violent protests in South are regrettable.

“South Africa is one of Namibia's major source market for tourists. Namibia has received 30 840 tourists from South Africa out of the total arrival of 61 663 from September 2020 to March 2021 under the Tourism Revival Initiative period. This represents 50% of tourist arrivals to Namibia during the period, he said.

“The violence that is happening there is disrupting business services and thus threatening the safety and security of travellers.”

Muyanda said this will affect tourism directly.

“We are watching with keen interest and with hope that the government and relevant authorities in South Africa will find an amicable solution as matter of urgency.”

CEO of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) Digu //Naobeb told Namibian Sun that they are on alert and monitoring the situation.

“But as the issue currently stands, we believe - as the government stated through its president - that the law enforcement agencies are component and able to control the process. We do not expect any overflow of the protests into the neighboring countries, especially as far as Namibia is concerned.”

He added that Namibia is not foreseeing any closure of borders with South Africa, depending on what President Hage Geingob will announce with regards to Covid-19 regulations in his next address.

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Namibian Sun 2024-04-25

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Premier League: Manchester United 4 vs 2 Sheffield United | Everton 2 vs 0 Liverpool | Crystal Palace 2 vs 0 Newcastle | Wolves 0 vs 1 Bournemouth | Arsenal 5 vs 0 Chelsea LaLiga: Sevilla 2 vs 1 Mallorca SerieA: Udinese 1 vs 2 AS Roma | AC Milan 1 vs 2 Inter Milan | AS Roma 1 vs 3 Bologna European Championships Qualifying: Coventry City 2 vs 3 Hull City | Leicester City 5 vs 0 Southampton | Middlesbrough 3 vs 4 Leeds United English Championship: Coventry City 2 vs 3 Hull City | Leicester City 5 vs 0 Southampton | Middlesbrough 3 vs 4 Leeds United Katima Mulilo: 15° | 34° Rundu: 15° | 34° Eenhana: 15° | 35° Oshakati: 17° | 34° Ruacana: 17° | 35° Tsumeb: 18° | 33° Otjiwarongo: 14° | 31° Omaruru: 17° | 34° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Gobabis: 17° | 31° Henties Bay: 15° | 21° Wind speed: 22km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:02, High tide: 04:02, Low Tide: 22:08, High tide: 16:27 Swakopmund: 15° | 16° Wind speed: 27km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:00, High tide: 04:00, Low Tide: 22:06, High tide: 16:25 Walvis Bay: 15° | 23° Wind speed: 35km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:00, High tide: 03:59, Low Tide: 22:06, High tide: 16:24 Rehoboth: 16° | 31° Mariental: 19° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 19° | 32° Aranos: 20° | 33° Lüderitz: 14° | 25° Ariamsvlei: 18° | 31° Oranjemund: 14° | 21° Luanda: 26° | 29° Gaborone: 18° | 31° Lubumbashi: 12° | 26° Mbabane: 15° | 20° Maseru: 12° | 26° Antananarivo: 14° | 26° Lilongwe: 14° | 27° Maputo: 20° | 27° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Cape Town: 16° | 24° Durban: 18° | 23° Johannesburg: 18° | 25° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 26° Lusaka: 18° | 29° Harare: 15° | 29° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.74 | EUR to NAD 20.39 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 19.01 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.34 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.72 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.72 | RUB to NAD 0.21 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.41 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.85 | USD to EGP 47.85 | USD to KES 134.48 | USD to NGN 1277.03 | USD to ZAR 19.03 | USD to ZMW 26.4 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 74329.37 Down -0.25% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1642.69 Up +6.30% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13346.81 Up +0.49% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 25917.59 Down -3.21% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 332.49/OZ UP +0.70% | Copper US$ 4.51/lb UP +1.78% | Zinc US$ 2 867.60/T UP 0.22% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 88.81/BBP UP +0.93% | Platinum US$ 914.94/OZ UP +1.42% Sport results: Premier League: Manchester United 4 vs 2 Sheffield United | Everton 2 vs 0 Liverpool | Crystal Palace 2 vs 0 Newcastle | Wolves 0 vs 1 Bournemouth | Arsenal 5 vs 0 Chelsea LaLiga: Sevilla 2 vs 1 Mallorca SerieA: Udinese 1 vs 2 AS Roma | AC Milan 1 vs 2 Inter Milan | AS Roma 1 vs 3 Bologna European Championships Qualifying: Coventry City 2 vs 3 Hull City | Leicester City 5 vs 0 Southampton | Middlesbrough 3 vs 4 Leeds United English Championship: Coventry City 2 vs 3 Hull City | Leicester City 5 vs 0 Southampton | Middlesbrough 3 vs 4 Leeds United Weather: Katima Mulilo: 15° | 34° Rundu: 15° | 34° Eenhana: 15° | 35° Oshakati: 17° | 34° Ruacana: 17° | 35° Tsumeb: 18° | 33° Otjiwarongo: 14° | 31° Omaruru: 17° | 34° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Gobabis: 17° | 31° Henties Bay: 15° | 21° Wind speed: 22km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:02, High tide: 04:02, Low Tide: 22:08, High tide: 16:27 Swakopmund: 15° | 16° Wind speed: 27km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:00, High tide: 04:00, Low Tide: 22:06, High tide: 16:25 Walvis Bay: 15° | 23° Wind speed: 35km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:00, High tide: 03:59, Low Tide: 22:06, High tide: 16:24 Rehoboth: 16° | 31° Mariental: 19° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 19° | 32° Aranos: 20° | 33° Lüderitz: 14° | 25° Ariamsvlei: 18° | 31° Oranjemund: 14° | 21° Luanda: 26° | 29° Gaborone: 18° | 31° Lubumbashi: 12° | 26° Mbabane: 15° | 20° Maseru: 12° | 26° Antananarivo: 14° | 26° Lilongwe: 14° | 27° Maputo: 20° | 27° Windhoek: 15° | 29° Cape Town: 16° | 24° Durban: 18° | 23° Johannesburg: 18° | 25° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 26° Lusaka: 18° | 29° Harare: 15° | 29° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.74 | EUR to NAD 20.39 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 19.01 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.34 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.72 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.72 | RUB to NAD 0.21 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.41 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.85 | USD to EGP 47.85 | USD to KES 134.48 | USD to NGN 1277.03 | USD to ZAR 19.03 | USD to ZMW 26.4 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 74329.37 Down -0.25% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1642.69 Up +6.30% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13346.81 Up +0.49% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 25917.59 Down -3.21% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 332.49/OZ UP +0.70% | Copper US$ 4.51/lb UP +1.78% | Zinc US$ 2 867.60/T UP 0.22% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 88.81/BBP UP +0.93% | Platinum US$ 914.94/OZ UP +1.42%