The Agricultural Bank of Namibia has unveiled virtual training material on specified farming practices, aimed at transferring knowledge and skills to farmers, to enhance farming productivity country wide.

MTN has retained the number one place on the ranking of the most valuable South African brands in the world, according to the latest Brand Finance report.

The leading telecoms brand value has surged this year, returning to growth after a disappointing result in 2021. MTN’s value (up 34% to R59.8 billion) has extended its lead over second-ranked Vodacom (up 5% to R29.9 billion) meaning that MTN’s brand value is now worth almost exactly double Vodacom’s brand value.

While the introduction of new regulations in have slowed growth in Nigeria, the number of MTN subscribers across the African continent increased by 2.9 million this year, to over 272 million subscribers globally.

The full ranking for 2022 is as follows:

1. MTN – R59.8 billion
2. Vodacom – R29.9 billion
3. Standard Bank – R23.4 billion
4. FNB – R23.4 billion
5. Absa – R21.3 billion
6. Multichoice – R17.5 billion
7. Woolworths – R17.3 billion
8. Shoprite – R15.7 billion
9. Nedbank – R15.1 billion
10. Mondi – R15 billion

The aggregate value of the top 50 South African brands grew by 15% this year, from R452 billion in 2021 to R519 billion in 2022. Similarly, the aggregate value of the top 100 South African brands grew by 17% this year, from R488 billion in 2021 to R570 billion in 2022.

This increase in brand values reflects significantly improved revenue forecasts in a future of lessened COVID-19 harm, and the likelihood of reduced civil unrest in key markets for South African brands.-bustech 

Absa Life, the first bank insurer to predict that the fifth wave of Covid-19 infections might be around the corner, says it nonetheless expects the trend of milder illness to continue.

Recently appointed Executive Director in the Ministry of Finance, Titus Ndove and Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company Finance Director, Rika Pretorius have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Bank of Namibia with effect from the 1^st of April 2022.

Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources have invited bids for 11 090 metric tonnes (MT) of Horse Mackerel in their first Governmental Objective Fish Quota auction for the year.

The Namibia Business Angel Network (NABAN) hosted its first pitch event in Windhoek, where four Founder teams were selected to pitch before a network of angel investors for an investment.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bought a stake in HP Inc. valued at more than US$4.2 billion. Shares of the laptop maker surged as much as 10%.

The South African department of communications and postal services is finalising plans to transition the Postbank into a full-service bank.

The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) says the proposed compulsory preservation of retirement benefits under the new Financial Institutions and Markets Act (FIMA) are still to be approved.

President Hage Geingob on Wednesday said the country’s much-awaited Sovereign Wealth Fund will be launched in May this year.