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SMEs look forward to growth in 2025

Many businesses, particularly small to medium enterprises, experienced mixed fortunes during 2024, and needed resilience to survive the volatile economic environment. Some even collapsed. Now, they brace for survival in 2025.

Shiwomeho Kalla, owner of the Shiwa The Baker enterprise, says her business grew exponentially during the year, in which she landed a brand ambassadorship with Cake Flora – one of southern Africa’s leading distributors of cake decorating supplies and accessories.

She says the growth enabled her to employ three young women from Project Hope, Namibia’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and USAID-funded programme, ‘Reach One Namibia’.

Kalla says a low point for her in 2024 was the death of Hage Geingob, as he was one of her most distinguished patrons.

“I look forward to tackling the challenges 2025 will throw at me,” Kalla says.

Business Summit Namibia founder Martin Nankela says in 2024 every challenge brought opportunities and every setback brought growth.

He says a major highlight was hosting South African entrepreneur Theo Baloyi, the founder and chief executive of Bathu Shoes, to motivate local entrepreneurs.

“We also launched the Business Coffee Table to foster learning, collaboration and connections within Namibia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” he says.

The year reminded him that growth stems not just from success but also from the challenges that demand innovation, courage and forward-thinking decisions.

“As we step into the new year, my commitment remains to create opportunities, empower others and contribute meaningfully to Namibia’s entrepreneurial landscape.”

Meanwhile, University of Namibia plant researcher Lydia Horn, of the Namibia Institute of Seeds, says 2024 was marred by drought and some seed production initiatives grown in rain-fed fields failed.

She is determined to preserve indigenous seeds by growing and selling them to farmers.

This has resulted in high demand for local crop seeds such as mahangu, cowpea and sorghum varieties.

The highlight of the year was the addition of potato seeds to their production line, which is attracting many lovers of the crop.

The potato seeds will be ready towards the end of December, she says, adding that there are several potato lines under research.

“Our challenges ranged from uneven and inconsistent rainfall patterns that caused most of our seed crops to fail.

The local mahangu varieties couldn’t mature, despite being well established.

The only variety that survived and gave us a substantial yield was Okashana 2 and Kangara.

“As we look forward to the new crop production year, we are hoping for a better rainy season that will make our crops flourish so that we get better harvests. We also look forward to producing quality and more seeds for every crop producer in Namibia to have enough seeds.”

Drought was also to blame for the poor performance in the dairy sector.

Owner of Travena Dairy in the Omaheke region Frans Murangi says drought hampered the country’s ability to grow sufficient stock feed.

“We managed to get some malted barley – a brewing by-product – from Namibia Breweries for stock feed, and the government came up with a scheme to help dairy farmers with stock feed,” he says, adding that while this was small, it has been helpful.

The dairy industry needs as much support as possible because it is failing to meet demand for cheaper milk for the community, he says.

“Even the Superfarm near Mariental is struggling to get enough stock feed because of the low water levels in the Hardap Dam preventing irrigation farmers from growing stock feed,” Murangi says.

While the construction industry was in the doldrums, Ismael Nuunyango of Larez Investment says his construction company registered tremendous growth during 2024.

“Last year, we employed about 35 people but we now have about 70 employees at different sites,” says Nuunyango, adding that the company operates mainly in the northern towns of Ondangwa, Ongwediva, Oshakati, Omuthiya and Eenhana, where they built about 30 houses last year.

He says the biggest challenge was a shortage of serviced land. He appeals to the government to allocate a bigger budget to councils to service land, adding that financial institutions were eager to finance houses where there is serviced land.

Swakopmund-based Hafeni Tourism Group is still rebuilding after the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, but things are looking good in the tourism sector.

The group’s director, Henrich Hafeni, says as they rebuild, many tour companies continue to make them their preferred cultural tourism organisation in Namibia, giving them motivation.

He also drew motivation from the Africa Tourism partners at the Africa Tourism Leadership Awards in Gaborone, where the Hafeni Tourism Group came fourth in the outstanding tourism entrepreneur in Africa award.

“My community of Mondesa and DRC supported our work with the greater objective to create jobs for youth from those communities, and I see a very positive outlook for 2025, guided by hard work, smart choices and innovative strategies,” Hafeni says.

– email: matthew@namibian.com.na

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