Photo: Contributed
By: Nghiinomenwa-vali Hangala
In the 2026 financial year, Bank Windhoek indicated that it has disbursed N$147 million in loans to the business community that are classified under “sustainable finance.”
Sustainable finance is now at the core of capital allocation and funding as lenders and investors start to prioritize activities that are environmentally friendly and with high social returns.
Bank Windhoek indicated that the N$147 million was disbursed through 97 loans, primarily issued through the bank’s Sustainability Loan.
According to the update provided by the bank this week, the average value disbursed per loan is N$1.5 million, with a deliberate focus on enabling smaller-scale sustainability projects aligning with the bank’s envisaged approach to meeting its sustainability-linked bond commitments.
The Sustainability Loan is designed to incentivise qualifying clients to invest in sustainability-focused initiatives within defined thresholds. This is particularly the case for small-scale initiatives, the bank stated.
“These efforts demonstrate Bank Windhoek’s commitment to supporting Namibia’s transition to a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economy,” the statement read.
Adding that this is in recognition that enduring prosperity requires integrating environmental and social considerations alongside traditional economic objectives, thereby strengthening long-term resilience, value creation and inclusive growth.
In explaining sustainability, Bank Windhoek’s chief treasurer, Ian Erlank, said sustainable finance is two-dimensional, and it must therefore include both environmental and socially related projects.
He said by unlocking N$147 million through 97 loans, the bank is demonstrating that economic objectives can be sought alongside environmental and social impact.
“We are proud of this progress and remain firmly focused on reaching our N$300 million target,” he said
Erlank has also highlighted that during the past financial year, Bank Windhoek focused on addressing key gaps that were recognised as hurdles to progress in the identification and origination of sustainability-eligible opportunities.
In the new financial year, the bank will continue to raise market awareness of available financing and accelerate progress towards the N$300 million target.
