Visiting One of Namibia’s Leading Retail Banks

It’s an average Tuesday morning and I’m looking forward to running some errands.

I must say I’m feeling confident about myself.

I walk into the bank, jump the queue, and wait to be assisted

A 40-something-year-old man waiting in the queue just behind me advises me to get into the queue like everyone else.

I respond in an unfashionable manner, telling him to remove his cap to follow the rules too – a bit bold of me, I must say.

I then move to the back of the queue and see an empty seat, which I take.

People used to jump the queue in banks all the time, what happened to that?

Anyway, my visit to the bank is off to a rocky start.

This is probably the 10th time I am renewing my debit card.

Dammit, who does that in the history of renewing cards?

So, I am at the bank and am sitting like three metres away from the consultant queue.

I take out my laptop, open a Microsoft doc and start narrating what just transpired. I then think to myself: My fellow clients are probably not used to seeing clients with laptops at bank desks.

So, I’m expecting a client to ask me for assistance. I laugh out loud.

I overhear one of the clients whispering: “Is he allowed to have a computer inside the bank?”

The consultant replies: “That must be his smartphone, I am just wondering why we haven’t offered him coffee yet.”

It feels like home hearing that. I am then assisted and make my exit.

Namibian banks are not that bad after all.

Gabriel Ndakukamo

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