Windhoek construction off to good start

A total of 116 building plans valued at N$128.7 million were approved by the City of Windhoek in January 2016. It looks like a good start for 2016 as 43 more plans were approved in January compared to a seasonally slower December, however it is significantly less than the 220 average number of building plans approved in January over the last 10 years, IJG Securities says in its analysis of the latest building stats. IJG says a major concern is the possibility of water restrictions in Namibia, especially in the central region. NamWater recently announced that water supply to Windhoek will be cut by 20% as of 1 March 2016 in an attempt to postpone dams running dry in August this year to April 2017. Water shortages and restrictions in Windhoek will directly affect economic activity in Namibia, impacting water dependent industries, such as construction. If water restrictions are implemented in Namibia, it would have a severe impact on the construction industry as they are heavily reliant on water supply, IJG says. Photo Nampa/AFP