Sir Richard Branson jets in to Namibia

HOT on the heels of a celebrity visit to Namibia earlier this year by Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt comes one of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs, Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson, who has flown into the country for a couple of days.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism, Leon Jooste, confirmed on inquiry yesterday that Branson was in Namibia, but could not give details about the low-key trip or what areas of the country he was visiting. Branson is apparently holidaying here with his wife and two children, and could also be looking at investment opportunities in tourism, according to at least one business source.The 56-year-old Briton founded the Virgin record label in 1972 and it has since expanded into air and rail travel, mobile phones, finance, retail, Internet, hotels and leisure, with about 200 companies in over 30 countries.Known as a flamboyant character, Branson was knighted by the Queen in 1999 for his “services to entrepreneurship”.But, the virgin.com website says, “he isn’t just a guy with a beard and a penchant for sweaters, balloons and boat racing”, but is also “a man who likes a challenge, whether it’s business or pleasure”.Branson started out business life as a “hippy entrepreneur with a flair for publicity”, according to the BBC website.His Virgin record label signed the outrageous British punk group the Sex Pistols when other companies refused to touch them, and this turned out to be a marketing coup.He signed up many other musicians, such as Peter Gabriel and the Rolling Stones, making Virgin Records a major player in the international music business.In 1994 he made a bid to run the National Lottery in the UK, promising to give all the profits to charity.He lost this bid, as well as a second attempt in 1999.Branson has also been involved in a number of world-record-breaking attempts, not all of which were successful, but these escapades helped make him and his company household names in the UK and abroad.One of his most recent initiatives, in 2004, was the signing of a 14-million-pound contract to have five ‘spaceliners’ built in the US to take Virgin passengers to the ‘final frontier’ of outer space by 2008.He’s put a footprint in Africa too, with a partnership between himself and Nigerian companies to form national carrier, Virgin Nigeria.This has in turn fuelled speculation here as to whether Virgin Namibia may be next.Branson is apparently holidaying here with his wife and two children, and could also be looking at investment opportunities in tourism, according to at least one business source.The 56-year-old Briton founded the Virgin record label in 1972 and it has since expanded into air and rail travel, mobile phones, finance, retail, Internet, hotels and leisure, with about 200 companies in over 30 countries.Known as a flamboyant character, Branson was knighted by the Queen in 1999 for his “services to entrepreneurship”. But, the virgin.com website says, “he isn’t just a guy with a beard and a penchant for sweaters, balloons and boat racing”, but is also “a man who likes a challenge, whether it’s business or pleasure”.Branson started out business life as a “hippy entrepreneur with a flair for publicity”, according to the BBC website.His Virgin record label signed the outrageous British punk group the Sex Pistols when other companies refused to touch them, and this turned out to be a marketing coup.He signed up many other musicians, such as Peter Gabriel and the Rolling Stones, making Virgin Records a major player in the international music business.In 1994 he made a bid to run the National Lottery in the UK, promising to give all the profits to charity.He lost this bid, as well as a second attempt in 1999.Branson has also been involved in a number of world-record-breaking attempts, not all of which were successful, but these escapades helped make him and his company household names in the UK and abroad.One of his most recent initiatives, in 2004, was the signing of a 14-million-pound contract to have five ‘spaceliners’ built in the US to take Virgin passengers to the ‘final frontier’ of outer space by 2008.He’s put a footprint in Africa too, with a partnership between himself and Nigerian companies to form national carrier, Virgin Nigeria.This has in turn fuelled speculation here as to whether Virgin Namibia may be next.