Namibia’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 5% in August 2026, reaching its highest level since February 2024.

Following a deadlock in salary and wage negotiations, the Namibia Local Authority Union (NLAU) has declined Tsumeb Municipality’s 4% across-the-board offer.

Fuel prices are expected to increase slightly in August following government intervention.

Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse made the announcement at the Government Information Centre.

More than half of income earners – amounting to 54% – earn N$2,000 or less per month, highlighting the country's low-income reality.

With only about a month before general elections, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema on Sunday made a pledge of lowering the cost of living, among others.

Students at the University of Namibia (UNAM) have questioned the effectiveness of government interventions aimed at cushioning consumers from rising fuel prices, saying the measures have had little visible impact on daily living expenses.

Workers under the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) marked Workers’ Day at Walvis Bay, renewing calls for fair wages and decent working conditions amid technological transitions.

Some young people are actively pursuing diverse income initiatives to mitigate the impact of rising cost-of-living hardships.

At the International University of Management (IUM) Nkurenkuru campus, student Ncame Andreas has ventured into horticulture, which helps him earn a living and make ends meet.

Botswana has emulated Namibia by suspending three fuel levies for six months to cushion consumers from the rising global oil prices.

Hundreds of union workers and opposition supporters took to the streets of Dakar, Senegal, on Wednesday, demanding accountability from Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko's government as the country plunges into a severe debt crisis amid rising living costs.