Swakopmund: Several major taxpayers dominated the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) 2026 Taxpayer/Trader Appreciation Awards, with some entities scooping up to three accolades. The event, which coincided with the agency's fifth anniversary celebrations, took place at Swakopmund on Tuesday.
According to Namibia Press Agency, among the top taxpayers was mining giant Swakop Uranium, which secured Highest Contributor to Employees' Tax and Withholding Tax on Services, while also placing as second runner-up in the overall domestic tax contributors' category. Similarly, Debmarine Namibia also walked away with more than one accolade, including Highest Contributor to Value Added Tax and first runner-up in the overall domestic tax category.
B2Gold Namibia also featured prominently, winning Highest Contributor to Corporate Income Tax and ultimately being crowned the Overall Top Tax Contributor (Domestic Taxes). Other notable multiple-category winners included PEP Namibia Holdings, recognised for Tax on Royalties and as runner-up in the Large Taxpayer Unit (Retail), while SanlamAllianz Namibia placed as runner-up for Withholding Tax on Services.
Namibia Breweries Limited was named the Overall Top Revenue Contributor in Customs and Excise, while R¶ssing Uranium Limited secured third runner-up in domestic taxes. Speaking at the event, NamRA Commissioner Sam Shivute credited the achievements to institutional reforms and strong leadership, noting that the agency has prioritised building capacity, systems, and a results-driven culture since its establishment.
He said Namibia's transition to a revenue authority was informed by years of research and benchmarking, dating back to studies by the Bank of Namibia in 2010 and 2012. 'Our broader mandate is to capacitate the State to deliver on its developmental agenda, therefore we aspire to be a world-class revenue agency, serving with passion to positively impact the livelihood of everyone living in Namibia,' the commissioner added.
Shivute highlighted that since its inception, NamRA has significantly improved revenue collection, surpassing N.dollars 50 billion for the first time in the 2021/22 financial year and growing to over N.dollars 80 billion in recent years. Meanwhile, NamRA board chairperson Pieter Kruger emphasised the importance of sustainability and future generations, stating that tax compliance plays a critical role in building a resilient economy. 'There is also an urgent need for digital transformation within revenue systems, as data and technology will be central to improving efficiency and compliance in the years ahead,' he expressed.