N$1 000 buys less than ever
Walk into any supermarket in Namibia today with N$1 000 in hand, and the question quickly becomes not what to buy, but what to drop. Residents across the country say the note that once comfortably carried households through weeks of essentials now disappears after a single shopping trip - sometimes in a single day.
Network Media Hub (NMH) spoke to residents in the far north, central north, and central Namibia, as well as economic analysts, to compare how far N$1 000 went before Covid-19 and what it can realistically buy in 2025.
In Oshakati, Venessa Hamukoto said that before the pandemic, N$1 000 could cover a full grocery basket with staples and basic household items. Today, she said, the same amount no longer buys the same quantity or variety.
“I often have to reduce items or choose cheaper alternatives,” Hamukoto explained. “It also runs out much faster. Prices keep increasing, especially for food, so the money covers fewer needs than before.”
In Rundu, Annastasia Kandingo put it more bluntly. “Groceries, electricity and toiletries used to be covered within the N$1 000, plus extra. Now, N$1 000 lasts me a day. Before, it could stretch two weeks or even a month,” she said.
According to Kandingo, electricity units, water, bread, cooking oil, canned food, and grains are now almost double what they cost five years ago - a claim echoed by broader price data.
A 2024 Food Price Monitor by First Capital Namibia shows that food inflation remains one of the most stubborn contributors to household pressure, with essential items such as vegetables, meat and grains consistently rising faster than overall inflation. The report notes that while headline inflation has moderated since the post-pandemic spike, food prices have not followed the same downward path.
For young professionals, the squeeze is even more visible when starting out. Teopo Mpigana said that during her university years before Covid-19, N$1 000 could cover food and electricity. Today, she spends between N$2 000 and N$2 500 on basic necessities alone.
“If you are moving and trying to settle in a new place, it gets worse. Starting with nothing can easily push expenses to N$3 000,” she said. “Keeping up with basic living costs is becoming difficult.”
The lived experience matches the numbers. Economic analyst Klaus Schade told NMH that the purchasing power of N$1 000 in December 2019 had dropped to about N$780 by December 2025.
Inflation surged to 6.1% in 2022 from 3.6% in 2021, before slowing to around 3.5% in 2025. However, Schade noted that core inflation - which strips out food and energy - remained higher at 3.8%, masking the pressure households feel most acutely.
“Food prices increased by about 5.6% in 2025, mainly driven by vegetables and meat,” he said. “Rental and electricity prices also rose above the average. These are the items consumers feel the most, while price drops elsewhere go largely unnoticed.”
The First Capital Namibia Food Price Monitor supports this view, showing that basket costs for basic food items have steadily climbed since 2020, with no meaningful reversal despite easing fuel prices.
Schade cautioned that inflation figures are based on an “average” consumption pattern that often does not reflect reality for low- and middle-income households.
“Our individual spending patterns differ widely,” he said. “It would help if inflation rates were published for different income groups, to better guide wage and social grant adjustments.”
For now, residents say the reality is simple: N$1 000 no longer buys time, comfort or choice. -[email protected]
