Payments Association of Namibia (PAN) - No minimum payment for credit cards

 The Payments Association of Namibia (PAN) has issued a warning to businesses that forcing customers to spend a minimum amount before paying with a debit or credit card is illegal and violates national payment regulations. The association clarified that once a business accepts card payments, it must allow customers to use their cards for any transaction amount, without discrimination. Examples of prohibited practices:

A café refusing to accept card payments for purchases below N$50.

A retail shop charging an extra N$5 for every card payment made.

Any business that only allows cash for small transactions while accepting cards for larger amounts.

I have been asked by a radio station:

Please send us commentary via a voicenote:

• Do you welcome this move by PAN? 
• How does this protect consumers?

Good morning, and thank you for the question.

Yes, I absolutely welcome this move by the Payments Association of Namibia. For years, consumers have been quietly carrying the cost of unfair card‑payment practices—whether it’s being told to buy more than they need, or being charged extra simply because they choose to pay with a card. PAN’s clarification finally puts an end to that confusion.

Once a business decides to accept card payments, they must accept them for any amount. No minimum purchase, no extra fees, no discrimination. This is not just a technical rule—it’s a protection of basic consumer rights.

This move protects consumers in three important ways:

First, it stops unfair extra charges. A consumer shouldn’t pay more simply because they prefer a safer, traceable payment method.

Second, it prevents forced spending. No one should be pressured to buy more than they need just to meet a minimum card amount.

Third, it promotes safety and convenience. Many Namibians choose cards to avoid carrying cash. Businesses cannot punish consumers for choosing the safer option.

At the end of the day, this is about fairness. If a business offers card payments, they must offer them equally to everyone, for every transaction. PAN’s stance strengthens transparency in the market and ensures that consumers are treated with dignity.

Namibia in 2026: Stability Is Not the Same as Progress

As we move into 2026, Namibia is once again being told that things are “looking better”. Growth projections are positive. Political stability is intact. Big projects are being announced. But for many ordinary Namibians, the question remains a simple one:

Is life actually getting better?

To answer that, it helps to step back and look at the bigger picture — not from a boardroom or policy document, but from the street. Using a PEST lens (Political, Economic, Social and Technological), here is what 2026 is likely to look like for Namibia.

Politics: Stable, Yes — But People Are Watching Closely

Namibia prides itself on political stability, and rightly so. We are not a country of coups or chaos. But stability alone no longer buys automatic trust. In 2026, citizens are far less impressed by speeches and far more interested in delivery. The public mood has shifted. People are asking harder questions:

• Why is unemployment still so high?

• Why do services keep deteriorating while costs keep rising?

• Why does accountability feel selective?

The political environment remains calm, but it is no longer comfortable. Social media, independent voices and everyday conversations are increasingly shaping public opinion — not party structures.

Prediction:

In 2026, government will remain stable, but legitimacy will increasingly depend on results, not history. Those who confuse silence with satisfaction will misread the moment.

Economy: Growth on Paper, Pressure at Home

Yes, the economy is expected to grow in 2026. Mining, hydrocarbons, energy projects and agriculture will likely improve headline figures. That is the good news.

The bad news is that many households will not feel it.

Food prices remain high. Debt is suffocating families. Wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. SMEs are struggling to survive, while consumers are cutting back on essentials.

Namibia’s economy still depends heavily on a few sectors and external markets. When global prices dip, ordinary Namibians pay the price — even when we are told the economy is “recovering”.

Prediction:

2026 will deliver economic recovery without economic relief for many citizens. Unless diversification becomes real — not just a policy slogan — inequality will deepen and frustration will grow.

Society: A Young Country That Cannot Afford to Waste Time

Namibia is a young country. Most of our people are under 35. That should be our biggest advantage. Instead, it is becoming our biggest risk.

Free access to education is a powerful step, but education without jobs creates disappointment, not empowerment. Graduates are entering a market that cannot absorb them. Informal work is expanding, not because people choose it, but because they must survive.

Urban areas continue to grow faster than services can keep up. Housing, transport, healthcare and basic dignity remain out of reach for many.

Prediction:

In 2026, social pressure will increase — quietly at first, then more openly. Young Namibians are not apathetic; they are waiting. And waiting has limits.

Technology: Coming Whether We Are Ready or Not

Technology is no longer optional. It is already shaping how Namibians bank, shop, work and organise. AI, automation and digital platforms will not ask whether Namibia is prepared. They will simply arrive. The danger is not technology itself — it is exclusion.

If connectivity remains expensive, skills training limited, and policy reactive, technology will widen inequality instead of closing it. Hopefully the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) will give Starlink the go-ahead for it to supply high speed internet services to unserviced areas in Namibia.

Prediction:

By the end of 2026, technology will touch more lives — but without a serious digital skills and access strategy, Namibia will remain a consumer of innovation, not a creator of opportunity.

So What Does 2026 Really Look Like?

Namibia in 2026 will likely be:

• Politically calm, but under sharper scrutiny

• Economically growing, but unevenly experienced

• Socially restless, especially among the youth

• Technologically exposed, but underprepared

This is not a doomsday forecast. It is a warning and an opportunity.

The real danger is not instability — it is complacency.

The real opportunity is not growth — it is inclusion.

If 2026 is to mean something for ordinary Namibians, then policy must finally meet reality, and leadership must listen more than it speaks.

Because stability without progress is simply standing still; and standing still is something Namibia can no longer afford.