Keynote by Modestus Amutse at Petrofund Head Office Inauguration and Brand Launch

Windhoek 9 December 2025

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Good evening.

I am deeply honoured to join you this evening for this landmark occasion as we unveil the new Petroleum Training and Education Fund (Petrofund) brand and officially inaugurate the new Petrofund head office in Windhoek. This moment marks a new chapter in the fund’s evolution and reaffirms our collective commitment to developing a world-class petroleum workforce for Namibia.

Namibia’s oil and gas landscape has evolved rapidly since the 2022 offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin and, more recently, the positive indications from the Kavango West 1X well. These developments require Namibia to position itself as a country ready to learn, collaborate and effectively prepare its people for the opportunities ahead as we await critical final investment decisions from operators.

The unveiling of Petrofund’s new brand identity reflects this readiness. It symbolises Namibia’s renewed commitment to building local expertise in the upstream petroleum sector and highlights Petrofund’s core mandate of continuous skills development.

The refreshed brand also strengthens public awareness of Petrofund as a strategic national institution responsible for offering academic scholarships, internships, on-the-job training, research support, strengthening local training institutions and building supply chain capacity across the entire upstream value chain.

The Sixth National Development Plan underscores skills development as a key enabler of the oil and gas industry. Achieving this requires strong public–private partnerships that create pathways for internships, on-the-job training and employment.

In 2020, Petrofund introduced a manual curriculum vitae repository system, which attracted about 8 500 submissions from Namibians with relevant skills and aspirations for employment opportunities in the upstream petroleum sector.

I am pleased to announce the transition of this system to a fully digital platform called PetroConnect. This modern curriculum vitae repository and talent database represents a major advancement in how Petrofund manages and leverages human capital. PetroConnect will serve as a secure central hub for the profiles, qualifications and experience of Petrofund beneficiaries and other aspiring professionals, enabling the industry to efficiently identify and engage qualified Namibians.

This will accelerate local content development and help bridge the skills gap in the petroleum sector.

I therefore encourage all Namibians interested in the oil and gas sector to visit the Petrofund website, access the PetroConnect portal and register their profiles at no cost.

I also urge all oil and gas companies to subscribe to PetroConnect to access potential candidates for their operations. Subscription fees will ensure the sustainability of the system while facilitating a direct connection between employers and job seekers.

The eighth administration, under the leadership of president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has placed quality education and training among its top national priorities. Through this direction, the government reaffirms its commitment to preparing Namibians for emerging opportunities in the petroleum sector.

Since its inception in 1992, Petrofund has invested over N$115 million in training more than 400 Namibians, including over 70 who benefited from highly specialised programmes essential across the exploration, development and decommissioning stages of the upstream oil and gas value chain. Petrofund has further signed 13 memorandums of understanding with industry partners to develop the country’s workforce, demonstrating a shared commitment to upstream petroleum human capital development.

As discoveries increase, so does the need to scale up our national skills base. This requires effective communication, targeted branding and robust digital platforms to ensure citizens are informed about available opportunities. In this regard, the newly revamped Petrofund website, designed by a young Namibian developer, will significantly enhance visibility and public engagement.

The platform reflects the updated brand strategy and offers a seamless, fully responsive user experience. With integrated artificial intelligence tools such as the Petrobot chatbot, a WhatsApp helpdesk and an efficient content management system, the website ensures that the public has timely access to accurate information.

Allow me to express my gratitude to all stakeholders for your ongoing commitment to developing Namibia’s oil and gas workforce. Let us continue to collaborate in equipping our people with the skills they need to participate meaningfully in this sector.

It is my distinct honour to officially unveil the revitalised Petrofund brand identity, together with the new Petrofund website and the PetroConnect digital database.

I am equally pleased to inaugurate the new Petrofund head office in Eros, a modern facility that reflects the fund’s growing mandate and commitment to service excellence. I encourage the public to visit the office to learn more about the programmes launched today and to engage with the management team on how you can contribute to strengthening Namibia’s future upstream petroleum workforce.

I thank you.

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