FlyWestair May 2021

FlyWestair www.flywestair.com

Your free copy

May 2021

discover damaraland | shop local-ish | conservation | royal hustlers | economic pulse | looking global | hike windhoek

At Namdeb, we are passionate about creating positive long-term shared value for the communities impacted by our operations.

GOOD TODAY. BETTER TOMORROW.

from the publisher

Stories in FlyWestair Magazine.

FIRE

Read this issue online!

A

is for Awesome... and Ads. To advertise in FlyWestair magazine contact fly@venture.com.na.

“But how could you live and have no story to tell?”

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Venture Publications (Pty) Ltd. PO Box 21593 Windhoek Namibia info@venture.com.na

Cover image:

Chris Botha

See more on pg. 48

This is us. extraordinary Namibian stories. publishing. content generation. content marketing. print. film. digital.

CONTENT IS

are compiled by Venture Media’s content team, in partnership with Tribefire Studios and freelance contributors.

and also

by Tribefire Studios

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Table of

contents

CONTENT IS FIRE

01

And collaboration is the future. FlyWestair Magazine is a compilation of Namibian stories sourced by Venture Media that entertain and surprise with interesting topics, introducing you to a new generation of trendsetters and Namibian influencers.

54

WELCOME ON BOARD

08

What a wonderful time to see Namibia from the air.

AT HOME AMONG THE ROCKS

10

Exploring the natural wonders of the Twyfelfontein area.

LIFE ON A TABLE

15

Follow this recipe for some scrumptious meat and veg.

10 MIN WITH LOCAL TASTEMAKERS

16

Getting to know communication queen and celebrated creative, Disney Andreas.

FROM FISHROT TO CONSPIRASEAS

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The truth of how we are destroying our oceans.

46

THE POWER OF SELF-TALK

21

Stuck inside your own head? Kirsty Watermeyer delves into the power of what we tell ourselves.

SHOP LOCAL-ISH

22

Shopping local is so much more rewarding. Have a look at what some hot local Namibian and South African brands have to offer.

NAMINAMI

24

A slow fashion brand that is comfortable, practical and effortlessly beautiful.

FASHION FIERCE

26

The Kavango Region is lighting up the fashion world.

ECONOMIC PULSE 26 4

René Olivier on why valuation matters.

30

LOOKING GLOBAL

32

Pros and cons of Elon Musk’s Starlink.

REMY THE QUILL

35

Remy Ngamije sees a light at the end of the tunnel with the changing seasons.

ROYAL HUSTLERS

36

Job Amupanda - driven by his pursuit of success.

15 MIN SWEAT SET WITH ENA

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See and feel a change with these efficient and effective exercises.

THE TRIBE

48

40

Mpho Monyai back in the spotlight.

DISCOVERING WINDHOEK

42

Explore the diverse Namibian capital.

ZINA

46

A lifestyle guide for women.

PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE

48

Life through the lens of Chris Botha.

GETTING JABBED

52

Covid-19 vaccinations: What you need to know.

STARTUP NAM - ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE THROUGH TELEMEDICINE

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53

Bringing healthcare within reach to Namibians.

ROCK THE BOAT

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Sweet jams on the Okavango.

HIKING WINDHOEK

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Need a nature fix? Go for a hike.

LOVE NAMIBIA

Showcasing the beauty of our country.

60 42 5

Help is in our DNA

That’s why we are

the Global SME Bank of the year No matter how passionate you are about your business ventures, you need a plan, a goal and the right finance to achieve success.

At FNB, we make it our priority to understand our clients’ needs.

Whether you’re in the start, run or grow phase of the business life cycle, we make use of our industry insights and expertise to tailor our innovative products towards solving your business challenges.

How can we help you?

6

2020 Global SME Finance Awards

SME Bank of the year Global

FlyWestair

NEED TO KNOWS. with www.flywestair.com

How to buy

a ticket online Choose your ticket

Select which tickets you would like to purchase. We offer multiple fare options such as: Saver, Classic or Premium

Passenger details Please enter names as they appear on passport or travel documentation LOGIN to upload passenger details from previous booking.

Fill in your payment details in our DPO paygate to make final payment.

How can you make

a payment?

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

Eros Airport, Ondangwa Airport, Oranjemund Airport

Online card transaction

Immigration procedure Final Destination OMD

Oranjemund Exit

Transaction confirmation will be sent to passenger email entered.

You can also purchase

from:

• Windhoek Eros Airport Office • SkyLounge Eros • Ondangwa airport office • Oranjemund airport office • All major travel agents

restrictions Items NOT allowed in hand luggage: Lotions and aerosols above 100ml, flammable aerosol, sharp objects, i.e. nail files, nail scissors, Leatherman, matches.

MAX 20kg Per person

prior to flight

Departures Immagration

Online check-in opens 24hours before departure of the flight on www.flywestair.com Check-in opens 1h 30min before domestic flight and 2 hours before international flight.

Coffee Shop

Toilets

Read up on all our additional information reagarding terms and conditions, and tick the selection box once completed to continue.

Check-in

Arrivals Immagration

Arrival Gate

Additional flight information / rules

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Oranjemund Airport Final Destination CPT / ERS

Baggage policy, sporting equipment, over weight luggage or to add an additional bag(s)

Confirmation Mail

Payment

Cash payment at:

More options for the perfect trip

Office

Check-in CLOSES 30min prior to flight

Departure Gate

7

Ondangwa - Toivo ya Toivo

Eros Airport

Cape Town 8

FROM

TO

DAYS

DEPARTURE

ARRIVAL

Eros Windhoek

Ondangwa - Toivo Ya Toivo

Tues, Wed

07:30

08:30

Ondangwa - Toivo Ya Toivo

Eros Windhoek

Tues, Wed

09:00

10:00

Eros Windhoek

Ondangwa - Toivo Ya Toivo

Thur, Fri and Sun

15:15

16:15

Ondangwa - Toivo Ya Toivo

Eros Windhoek

Thur, Fri and Sun

16:50

17:50

Windhoek - Hosea Kutako Int.

Cape Town

Mon, Fri

08:30

10:30

Cape Town

Windhoek - Hosea Kutako Int.

Mon, Fri

12:30

14:30

Schedule as per date of going to print. Please check the FlyWestair website to stay updated on flight destinations, routes and schedules.

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Welcome on Board

FlyWestair

I

t’s about time here at FlyWestair and that’s why we’re constantly adapting, making changes to our schedule and trying to upgrade our offerings to suit the needs of the flying public. FlyWestair is proud to announce one additional scheduled flight per week between Windhoek (Eros Airport) and Ondangwa (Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport) effective 28 April 2021. This will connect the North of Namibia to Windhoek, and beyond, with a flight every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

In addition, FlyWestair also offers scheduled flights from Windhoek (Hosea Kutako International Airport) to Cape Town (Cape Town International Airport) weekly on Fridays and Mondays.

FlyWestair is a proudly Namibian owned and operated airline that is committed to providing a superior travel experience with consistent on-time performance. Our airline remains focused on assisting the Namibian travel and aviation industry recovery in a post-COVID environment.

Since restarting operations in October 2020, we have focused on simplifying the travel experience for all our clients. For international travelers this has been done by offering easy and convenient COVID testing at our Eros Airport offices.

FlyWestair is also excited to announce the addition of a 50 seat Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. This new addition will predominantly be operating on the Eros – Ondangwa (Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport) route.

Expansions of domestic offering to Katima Mulilo, Rundu and Lüderitz Having received numerous enquiries from the traveling public we would like to confirm our intention on starting with flights between Windhoek (Eros) and Katima Mulilo, Rundu and Lüderitz. The current delay in starting with these operations is due to delays with the transportation commission of Namibia not being able to approve these routes. FlyWestair would like to assure our clients that the airline has engaged with the Minister of Transport Hon. John Mutorwa on the matter and his office has given us the assurance that the delays will be resolved soon. We will keep all our clients up to date on developments in this regard.

FlyWestair is the first privately owned Namibian airline and forms part of the Westair Aviation Group of Companies.

Since starting with scheduled flight operations in June 2019, we have transported more than 35 000 passengers and have maintained an on-time dispatch reliability of 98%. We remain committed in developing and expanding the local Namibian aviation infrastructure by growing and investing back into the local aviation businesses and related services.

If you’re flying with us while reading this, we hope you enjoy your travels. May the pages of our inflight publication continue to inform, inspire and entertain you.

We look forward to welcome you on future flights. Stay safe and happy flying.

The FlyWestair Team

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At home among the rocks Ondili’s Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp

O

ndili Meumbo is an Oshiwambo expression meaning ‘I am at home’.

With its selection of lodges across the country – including Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge, Teufelskrallen Lodge, Desert Homestead Lodge, Desert Homestead Outpost, Hohenstein Lodge and Ti Melen – this Namibian hospitality family has cut its teeth on the fine art of the authentic safari experience. Now they have wandered into the wild northwest of Namibia’s enigmatic Damaraland, and found a new home among the rocks.

The landscape astounds on a morning nature drive with our guide. A tapestry of incredible rock formations

surrounds us. The patterns on the mountains we slowly drive past remind me of abstract art that would not look out of place in a high-end gallery in New York. Two springbok stroll across dry plains and a flock of ostrich peck away in the background. Everything is peaceful.

Quiet. Still. The clear blue sky overhead a crowning glory to the beauty of it all. The rough and rugged landscape.

This raw nature.

We have wandered into one of our favourite regions, Damaraland. The iconic geological wonders of the area and the harsh beauty is what draws visitors, but there are even more wonderful stories hidden among the rocks strewn about over millennia. The area is home to one of the most noteworthy concentrations of rock engravings

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in Africa, and it is inhabited by desert-dwelling wildlife and people alike. You will be enthralled by all the region has to offer, here, where thriving life seems almost unimaginable.

our tented sanctuary among the rocks. A midday dip in the refreshing pool, drinks in the cool shade of the sitting area, and a delightful braai for dinner. What better way to spend a day in Namibia?

Dawn breaks over the mountains to the With 12 furnished en-suite tents, east and sets alight the mopane-dotted Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp is small landscape laid out in front of our tent. enough for an intimate stay, away from After a leisurely breakfast we embark the crowds. The camp is unassuming in This honour on a nature drive. The emphasis is most the best possible way. Tucked into the certainly on nature. To be enjoyed and flank of a rocky outcrop, the ‘glamping’ that has been appreciated. These experiences are what tents are comfortable and yet still inspire bestowed on us. a sense of adventure. There is a connection set Namibia apart from so many other destinations in the world. This honour that with nature, without the hassle that Unblemished has been bestowed on us. Unblemished some associate with camping. Beautiful earth. Untouched, raw and rugged. simplicity is the style and it is wonderfully earth.

Something worth fighting for, something unpretentious.

Untouched, raw worth preserving. There are never any guarantees of spotting wildlife, especially Other popular and worthwhile activities and rugged. not in this unpredictable terrain. Weather in the area include a visit to the nearby Something and whim could lead the region’s wildlife Damara Cultural Village where you can herds (or individuals) in any direction. learn about ancient skills and the enigmatic worth fighting Some walk more than 70 km in a day in people who have called the area home for search of grazing and water. Yet, luck was generations. Or a visit to Namibia’s first for, something on our side during our visit. We had the World Heritage Site – Twyfelfontein. This worth honour of spending some time with an open-air art gallery houses over 2 000 old elephant bull. Calm and nonplussed, rock engravings by San shamans, some preserving. he clearly has all the time and patience estimated to be more than 6 000 years old. in the world. Our guide makes sure that we are not directly in the old bull’s wandering path, and Whether it is history, wildlife or the beauty of the dramatic we spend our time snapping away with our cameras as landscape that calls your heart to Damaraland, we can he gives himself a dust bath and then seems to take a highly recommend a stay among the rocks with Ondili at short nap leaning against an old Ana tree. Our love and Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp. longing for capturing the beautiful creature satiated, we Elzanne McCulloch leave the old man to his wanderings and head home to

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When viewing desert-adapted elephant there are a few important rules to stick to: • Avoid areas where the animals might feel trapped.

• Don’t obstruct their movement when you encounter them.

• Drive slowly and keep your noise levels down.

• Keep to existing roads and tracks.

• Stay in your car when encountering an elephant herd.

• Don’t camp at waterholes; use nearby campsites instead.

Book now or find out more at ondili.com

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IT’S TIME FOR THE PERFECT BEER

SCAN TO DISCOVER our full range of perfect beers available in 16 countries worldwide. For more information contact nblexport@ol.na

Foodies

VENISON STEAK POT This dish can be cooked in the oven or in a “potjie” on moderate coals.

MEAT

VEGETABLES

SAUCE

1 whole sirloin of venison (1.5–2 kg)

250 g streaky bacon, chopped

30 ml butter

2 onions, thinly sliced

30 ml cake flour

125 ml self-raising flour

6–8 cloves of garlic, crushed

500 ml cream

5 ml dried parsley

200 g button mushrooms, sliced

10 ml Worcestershire sauce

2.5 ml BBQ spice

Salt and pepper

5 ml salt

½ green, ½ red and ½ yellow pepper, cut into strips

2.5 ml black pepper

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

125 ml red wine

Olive oil

Olive oil

• Cut the meat into slices (1 cm thick).

• Tenderise with a meat hammer.

• Mix the flour and spices together and dip each individual steak into the flour mixture.

• Sear the meat on each side in olive oil in the pan.

• Keep aside until all the steaks are seared.

• Fry all the veggies and bacon together in olive oil until glazed.

• Layer the steaks in an ovenproof dish with the veggie mix.

5 ml sugar

• Melt the butter in a pan, add the cake flour, then the cream, and stir to prevent lumps from forming.

• Add the remaining ingredients.

Pour over the steak potjie.

• Cover and bake at 180°C for 1 hour.

• Remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes to brown the top.

• Serve with spinach mashed potatoes.

Discover more of Antoinette's delicious recipes in Life on a Table To order your copy contact Bonn Nortjé at Venture Publications: bonn@venture.com.na

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10 minutes

with local taste makers

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Disney Andreas

I

t’s another fast-paced Friday when I meet Disney Andreas at The Pantry in the heart of Windhoek. While the capital’s main street bustles outside, we’re seated at the perfect people-watching spot in this cocoon of a cosmopolitan lounge. But today, we’re not peoplewatching. Although, meeting up with Disney does feel like effortlessly catching up with an old friend.

To those in the fashion industry, Disney is no stranger.

Co-founding Monochrome Magazine – a Namibian lifestyle platform showcasing local creatives – sparked a love-affair with fashion that manifested itself in a personal blog, and most recently, a hat collection that was launched at Windhoek Fashion Week in 2020. Right now, her Instagram (@disney.andreas) is where it’s at.

Follow Disney and dive into a feed that is every bit as informative as it is visually pleasing. Her stories come as daily reminders to wear fabulous footwear, always. And today, in The Pantry and in between meetings, she’s sporting a pair of black satin slippers. Timeless elegance, no?

fashion enthusiasts” flock to buying vintage, thrift, secondhand or anything extraordinary we can get our hands on.

Disney, of course, gets her thrift right from the source: her Mother’s Closet. Other incredible staples that form the basis of Disney’s wardrobe were bought at open markets in northern Namibia. In her very go-getter fashion, she launched Style Swop, an event that has successfully brought fashionistas of all walks (and Disney’s influence) together to find new homes for their pre-loved items.

Disney, of course, gets her thrift right from the source: her Mother’s Closet.

The message in her bio is clear: “Sustainable Fashion Enthusiast.” I asked her what sustainability means to her, since it has become such a word-of-the-moment and the message sometimes gets lost. For Disney, sustainable fashion considers the working environments of the workers, first and foremost. She encourages everyone to ask the retailers they support that million-dollar question: who made my clothes?

Buying sustainably in Namibia, as you may or may not know, can be challenging. Naturally, the majority of us “sustainable

Don’t let her ridiculously aesthetic feed fool you, it’s not her full-time job… Disney is qualified in geography and environmental studies, and as the fable goes, dabbling in entrepreneurship led her down the rabbit hole to create a space for herself and Monochrome within the greater spectrum of the Namibian creative industry. The satin-slippered sustainable fashionista’s 8-5 (if there were ever such a thing) is as a communications officer at the Namibia Nature Foundation. Now I don’t know about you, but I thoroughly enjoy consuming beautiful content with all the brains to back it up. We are making an impact, we are not just influencing anymore.

Amongst all of Disney’s sharp-witted catch phrases and quotes – she is a communications queen, after all – one stood out in particular. I think it might be the manifesto for all our fellow tastemakers: “Let them find us creating.”

July by DSNY A hats are available to purchase via DM with prices ranging from N$450 - N$850 .

Charene Labuschagne

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SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE AND ENERGY FINANCE. Nedbank CIB is committed to seeking financing partnerships with frontier businesses in the sustainable resource and energy sectors in Namibia.

Nedbank, in partnership with The Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), offers qualifying clients, subject to Nedbank’s credit and technical approval, finance for sustainable green projects under the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Finance (SUNREF) programme. SUNREF offers project assessments and advice at no cost.

WHO CAN APPLY? Any Namibian business that will benefit from capital investment in a renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture or sustainable tourism project.

CLIENT BENEFITS: • Tailored financial terms.

• Technical assistance offered by SUNREF.

see money differently 20

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS: • Energy Efficiency: Assets must at least be 20% more energy efficient than those previously installed/owned and may include pumps, compressors, refrigeration and vehicles.

• Renewable Energy: including PV solar energy, thermal solar energy, biomass combustion energy, biogas energy, wind power, small hydro power and geothermal power.

• Sustainable Agriculture: including but not limited to de-bushing, water saving (hydroponics and aquaponics), climate resistant crops, waste water management, solid waste management and other projects promoting the universal sustainability of agriculture.

• Sustainable Tourism: including but not limited to conservation, energy, water-saving, building and landscaping.

CONTACT NEDBANK NAMIBIA: Britt du Plessis (Head: Business Banking) BrittDu@Nedbank.com.na Dr Edward Turner (Head: CIB) EdwardTu@Nedbank.com.na

From fishrot to

conspiraSeas…

I

wonder how many people in the world are aware of the fact that fake news has not only overrun the digital world in topics such as politics and pandemics. How “alternative facts”, as some now hail them, have seeped into our everyday lives and even into things we thought were impossible to falsify. If you still live under the delusion that there are sacred topics that those dreaded trolls and pirates won’t sully, I’m sorry to be the one to break your heart. One such topic which is close to my, and many Namibians’ hearts, is conservation. And yes, this too has been punted into the dirty dishwater of what is real and what isn’t. Conservation topics nowadays are, like so many others, drenched in the foul-smelling disillusionment of today’s version of ‘truth’.

Netflix and chill-ing realities On the top of almost every country’s Netflix ‘Must watch’ list this past month is the new conservation documentary Seaspiracy. Brought to on-demand screens by the creators of the award-winning 2014 film Cowspiracy (which almost made all of us go vegan), this chilling docu delves deep into the heart of the almost-empty oceans and uncovers the devilish underbelly of global commercial fishing. It thoroughly ruins your love of salmon, reignites a passionate devotion to the cutest aquatic creatures (dolphins, duh) and will ensure that you never ever ever pick up a pack of John West tuna from the shelves of your nearest Spar ever again. Now, here in Namibia, we are no strangers to the murky waters of commercial fishing scandals (#fishrot), but Seaspiracy takes the epic ‘reveals’ to the next level. Here are some of them, just to get your BPM up: The oceans will be ‘virtually empty’ by 2048. Nearly 50% of the plastics floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of fishing nets. Creator Ali Trabizi starts off as a plastics activist cleaning his local beaches, then trudges to the other side of the world tackling mafia-esque dolphin and shark hunters and ends up taking on the world’s biggest fishing conglomerates. Along the way, Ali also links up with big NGOs that claim to be committed to the preservation of the world’s oceans, but finds that they are not always as “righteous” as they would like the world to think. I’m not going to spoil the whole film for you, but your take-away will probably be the same as mine. Substitute your commercially caught I&J for something caught by your hubby or uncle at Henties and you’ll leave the world a better place.

Liars and outliers After the release of the film, the creators got a lot of clapback from the global fishing industry (as could be expected). They claimed that facts in the film were misrepresented and taken out of context. Netflix and the Seaspiracy team came back with a “what are you talking about? It’s all true, you just don’t like the truth coming out.” Of course the big guns are going to throw money at journos and publications they spend millions advertising with, to create a counter campaign to save their existence. The documentary fact-checks and puts both fishery control organisations and NGOs on the spot with incredibly simple questions that they for some reason can’t respond to. The simple answer to this conundrum is that it doesn’t suit the narrative they have established to get more people to click the ‘Donate Now’ button on their websites.

It seems that today’s true conservationists are those that aren’t afraid to go against what has become the status quo of the global conservationist narrative and find the truths hidden behind the veneer of ‘commercial conservation’.

And while I don’t agree with everything Ali says in the film (especially where it comes to sustainability) and feel that he could have elaborated more on the own-use, fair-chase fishing which millions of rural communities around the world rely on for their livelihoods, the overall message of the film comes through effectively. Whether we want to accept the facts or not, the truth is out there. It’s just getting harder for us to establish which truth to believe or not. Don’t just take everything at face value. You are allowed to agree with a single point but not the whole story as well. Do research.

Check your sources. And also remember to check who is paying for the narrative you are absorbing, because that at the end of the day is the motivation behind the story.

Elzanne McCulloch

Watch Seaspiracy on Netflix.

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Wellness

The power of self-talk

A

happiness hack is knowing about the content that goes on in our own heads. Whether we are ready to admit this aloud or not, we all talk to ourselves all day long. We don’t necessarily verbalise this dialogue and we call it “thinking”.

All day, every day as our minds try and analyse the world around us, our heads are filled with a non-stop stream of thoughts, questions and observations. Did you know, however, that you don’t have to believe everything you think?

The reason we don’t have to believe everything we think, is that our thoughts are not always true. Our thoughts are mostly based on our own interpretation of the world around us. While it is true that you will experience each of your thoughts, they don’t always represent what is true about the world. Most of the time your thoughts are just a story you tell yourself to make sense of the world. Sometimes making sense of the world comes across as very negative thoughts, filled with worries and fears.

Have you ever paid attention to how your body responds when having these types of thoughts? We have physical responses to our thoughts which may include tightened muscles, headaches or back pain. Have you also noticed what happens to your emotions when we are in a negative headspace? Have you ever found yourself snapping at someone else, or being in a grumpy mood and stopped to wonder what role your selftalk (your thoughts) had in getting you there?

With our busy schedules, and our need to rush from obligation to obligation, it can feel like life passes us by very fast. In this state we seldom take the time to notice what is going on inside ourselves. This is the cause of much of our own suffering. While it is in our nature to try to make sense of events and apply meaning, we often do this without all the information. We treat our thoughts as facts. However, thoughts are temporary and fleeting.

In one study, the Rogelberg Study, it was uncovered that negative self-talk busies your mind up and stops your

creative ability. Which only serves to make us feel worse about ourselves.

Often, we are harder on ourselves than we are on others.

It’s not because we want to be, it’s because we don’t know how to manage our negative self-talk. In order to change our negative self-talk, we need to first become aware of what is happening in our heads all day.

Talking back to ourselves is one cure for negative self-talk.

By asking ourselves if our thoughts are factual, or just our interpretations, is one place to start. Once you get into the habit of observing your self-talk, noting whether or not it is constructive, you will find it that much easier to nip the negative thoughts in the bud.

Another solution to negative self-talk is to not hold yourself to an impossible standard of performance. This comes with knowing that even the great successes had a path lined with failures. Failures are how we learn and grow. Or perhaps you could try calling it out. According to researcher David Rock, “labelling our negative emotions is an effective way of shortcircuiting their hold over us.” By giving our inner critic a name or calling it out for what it really is – jealousy, insecurity, fear, etc – we disempower the critic.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I shall have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning.”

So the question now is, what do you say to yourself about yourself? Because if what you think about yourself is not in support of your dreams, then maybe it’s time to stop believing everything you think.

Kirsty Watermeyer

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SUELO Suelo is an authentic espadrille brand from Cape Town, South Africa, currently operating from a humble home-based studio in Windhoek, Namibia. Suelo espadrilles are exceptional quality shoes, crafted in a unique style, that are fit for everyday use. Recognising the strain which irresponsible manufacturing can put on our planet, the company is committed to minimising its environmental footprint by avoiding single-use plastics, reducing waste and sourcing sustainably supplied materials. @suelo_espadrilles

SHOP LOCAL-ish

The most unique local lifestyle brands and products that will guide, motivate and inspire you to express your identity.

AFRICAN NATURALS African Naturals, a Namibian-owned natural hair and skin care line proudly crafted locally and made with a unique blend of organic, plant-based African ingredients, was started in 2016 by Zodidi Gaseb.

All products are 100% natural and free of artificial ingredients such as mineral oil, synthetic preservatives, parabens, artificial fragrances, sulphates and animal ingredients.

A line triggered by the lack of products catering specifically to natural hair and ethnic skin, African Naturals also promotes self-love and reimagining the perception of natural hair in the workplace, at school and in society in general. Passionate about the healing and restorative powers of natural products and a holistic look at beauty, the company prides itself on combining the best ingredients that nature has to offer for hair health, whilst celebrating Africa’s natural heritage. @africannaturals_namibia

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DE SNIJPLANK Using only Prosopis wood, De Snijplank creates heirloom quality kitchen accessories for your home. They don’t mass-produce anything. When something is handmade, a lot of time and real passion goes into making it. They believe every kitchen product should turn your time into a great experience. Using the natural patterns of the wood, all products made have a unique design. They endeavour to create more practical products with better quality and extraordinary appearance. @de_snijplank

EKIPA JEWELLERY AND ART “Sometimes funky - always stylish”... this describes the extravagant jewellery of goldsmith Grit Böttcher, who learnt her trade in Germany.

Founded in 2001, Ekipa Jewellery & Art is situated in the Namibia Craft Centre in the heart of Windhoek.

For 20 years now, you can visit Grit’s studio where jewels are manufactured from natural materials like gemsbok horn, ostrich eggshell, colourful springbok fur and recycled African glass beads.

Namibian tourmaline and aquamarine set in silver are also among the exclusive designs you can admire at Ekipa Jewellery & Art. @ekipa.art

PURPLE POD True Namibian bath bombs handcrafted with Namibian love and environmentally friendly ingredients.

Enhanced with luxury, premier bath salts soften the water with essential oils and fragrances known to age-old aromatherapy.

Moisturise your skin with a Namibian secret Marula oil.

Choose your favourite bomb from four main collections. @purplepodbathbombs

Are you a Nam or SA-based small business lifestyle brand?

List your label with us for only N$750 per month. fly@venture.com.na

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NAMINAMI

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Local Craft

N

amibians stand for love and value a number of things. Two of these things that we are passionate about, other than the rain, is comfortability when it comes to our clothing and supporting local business. You’ve heard it – local is lekker!

NamiNami is a powerful synergy of just that. Chani Rabe obtained her BA Honours degree in fashion and created the NamiNami brand as her love for fashion and her skill needed an outlet. We know her as one of our country’s sweethearts, commonly seen flashing her bright big smile and dazzling eyes in an evening gown. While this is the one extreme of Chani’s life, she describes NamiNami as a ready-to-wear, ‘slow’ fashion brand that is practical, comfortable and effortlessly beautiful, while permeated by her golden thread when it comes to style – classy.

NamiNami garments are created to make a woman feel feminine and confident, in bold pieces that really are easy to wear and can be dressed down for an elegant look during the day while doing your groceries, or dressed up in the evening for an audacious look while sipping on your G&T with the girls.

Slow fashion is part of the “slow movement”, an initiative that promotes slowing down life’s pace, for ethical and sustainable reasons. What does this have to do with fashion? Producing fashion at a vigorous pace usually means sourcing materials at cheaper prices (internationally) and making use of automated labour to cut costs, keep production speed up and increase variety. NamiNami as a slow fashion brand allows Chani to source 100% of the materials and other inputs in Namibia while also providing jobs for some of our local ladies.

In addition to making use of only Namibian materials and labour, implementing the slow fashion concept also gives customers the benefit of ordering slightly customised garments. All pieces are made to order (keeping inventory volume down too – well done NamiNami!). While at school we were taught that a dress should be four fingers above your knee caps, Chani understands that some women want their dresses seven fingers above, or on those knees, or reaching way below them – we have different needs.

From the sixteen-year-old stepping into an expressive style, to the mature woman characterised by class, NamiNami is a label that is effortlessly beautiful on anyone.

Find the brand on social media at @naminami.wear, and shop the look at www.naminami.store Ena Visagie

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Three fashion brands to look out for from the

Kavango Regions

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he Kavango regions may be the most underrated in Namibia but despite the fact that many Namibians overlook the talent that comes from that part of the country, fashion creatives from the region have been a force to reckon with.

From seasoned fashion designers who have helped to build the industry, to an explosion of fresh new talent that is ready to take over, the voice of the Kavango people is well represented in Namibian fashion.

I took a look at some of the most interesting creatives from the region who are making a mark.

POM Kouture Created in 2016, POM Couture is the brainchild of George Shiyepo Illarius who hails from the township of Sauyemwa some 2 km outside Rundu.

A brand that is growing in popularity within and beyond the Kavango regions, POM Couture is founded on the ethos of using fashion to tell Namibian and African stories. Consisting of mostly urban streetwear, POM Couture pieces feature captivating images of everyday life in Namibia.

George dreams of growing his clothing brand into a 100% Namibian luxury brand produced with locally sourced material.

POM Kouture

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Santia Poroto

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Fashion Feature

Maria Caley

Santia Poroto Hailing from the Kavango East Region, Santia Poroto describes her design style as “experimental”. She loves to play with African prints, colours, shapes and forms and constantly looks for ways to make clothes that are extraordinary. “My brand name stands for self-expression, freedom, strength and independence. It celebrates individual identity and not being afraid to stand out, and it embraces life in all its colour,” she says.

For her, life comes around only once so living it her way is the only way.

Anyone looking to brighten up their wardrobe with Santia Poroto’s statement pieces should be happy to know that she is working on opening an online store. In the meantime she can be contacted via her Instagram page @santirocker.poroto.

Maria Caley No stranger to the fashion scene, Maria is a seasoned designer, fashion and textiles lecturer and academic. Her 2020 Masters of Fashion thesis explored various Vakwangali traditional clothing and styles over time in order to “explain the lack of transformation of Vakwangali cultural clothing from traditional clothing styles to fashion clothing.”

Maria’s passion for Namibian cultures, not only the Vakwangali culture, has been at the core of her design style, and she draws from the decorative elements and techniques of traditional attire from different Namibian tribes in order to transform those elements into something modern. She has showcased collections from her Amakeya brand in Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria and Germany.

Her signature style are natural dyes derived from local traditional baskets, with sustainability being essential to her design ethos.

Keep up with Maria’s work by following her on Instagram @mariacaley.

The Kavango Region is the gift that keeps giving in terms of music, fashion and arts. The long list of fashion creatives from that part of Namibia is just another reminder that fashion is truly alive in the country. We just need to look beyond the usual places to discover the abundance of talent Namibia has to offer.

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based Concept Engineer, PR Consultant, and fashion writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni.

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WHY VALUATION MATTERS in the end

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he patient (economy) got sick from COVID-19 and the doctors (central banks) rushed with an injection (stimulus through money printing) as fast as they could. March 23rd, 2020, was the rock-bottom for financial markets and the uncertainty of a global pandemic sparked the fastest plunge we have seen in our lifetimes.

Most people just wanted to get out, and at any price. This created a liquidity crunch, making it difficult for markets to function and therefore a stimulus injection was needed. The dose of the injection thus far is estimated to be 5-7 times the size of the shortfall (hole in the economy created by COVID-19).

Life can be an interesting roller coaster and the ups and downs sometimes create adrenaline that clouds our thoughts. The problem is that we get addicted to this feeling and when we reach a new “high”, it is all we can think about. The contrary is also true and the fear of a new “low” creates an anxiety that it will never end.

This tendency to extrapolate the recent past into the future makes it difficult to stay rational. When stock prices go up, we expect them to go up even more and when prices go down, all we want to do is to get out. When the rest of the herd is doing the same, this way of thinking makes us feel safe and convinces us that we are making sensible decisions.

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As for making sensible decisions, it would make ‘sense’ to consider what you are paying for your investment. Let’s look at the example of company ABC: Company ABC is generating x amount of after-tax cash per year. Company ABC has a sustainable business model and a management team with an excellent track-record. Company ABC is worth N$10 per share based on fundamental analysis and conservative future assumptions.

Now let us assume the following two scenarios: A • The stock price continues to go up and is trading at N$15 per share.

• All assumptions are still valid, and no changes have been made to the business model or management team.

• The market cannot stop talking about this stock and everyone wants to buy it.

B • • • •

COVID-19 hits and the stock price plummets to N$5 per share The market is uncertain about a global health pandemic and the effects on businesses and the overall economy.

No change has been made to the business model or management team.

Your assumptions point to possibly reduced profits for the next year or two.

Economic Pulse

Life can be an interesting roller coaster and the ups and downs sometimes create adrenaline that clouds our thoughts.

If you decided, like everyone else, to buy the stock for N$15 you have paid 50% more than what the company fundamentals suggest it is worth. The company will release results of the profits, and if they are not in line with market expectations the share price will fall. Said differently, the price paid has such high expectations build into it (50% in additional value), that the chances of future profits disappointing market expectations are extremely high. When the market is not happy, it will sell and if there are more sellers than buyers, the price will fall.

Continue with this line of thinking and in the end, you will think that the stock market is nothing but a gambling machine.

The above sounds very simple and logical, right? Then why is it so difficult to do? Life is full of roller coaster rides; things rarely are plain sailing over the long haul. We are allowing our emotions to get dragged into the troughs and peaks to a point where our decisions become nonsensical. Only a disciplined, predetermined plan could assist us to act differently in the moment.

On the other hand, if you decided to buy that same company during the COVID-19 crisis, you would have bought a sustainable business run by an excellent management team that is able to generate cash for a very long time, but with a potential reduction in profits for 1-2 years (compared to 30 years plus of good cash profits thereafter). At a share price of N$5 you are buying at, let us say, 40-50% less than what it is worth. This means that a safety margin of ±45% provides you with the luxury of being wrong with about 45% of what you think the business is worth and still make your necessary minimum return.

René Olivier

René Olivier(CFA) is the Managing Director of Wealth Management at IJG, an established Namibian financial services market leader.

IJG believes in tailoring their services to a client’s personal and business needs. For more information, visit www.ijg.net.

Combine the above train of thought with a diversified basket of businesses with different exposures in the world and your risk is reduced significantly.

To sign up for the Economic Pulse newsletter, send an email to: daleen@venture.com.na www.namibiatradedirectory.com

You might be flying somewhere today with a mission to go forward in life, but is your starting base thought through properly? Valuation always matters in the end…

NETWORK

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Starlink is

Changing the Night Sky

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tarlink, the brainchild of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a satellite internet service that promises to bring high internet speeds and fast response times to any place in the world by using a constellation of low-orbiting mass-produced satellites.

It is set to revolutionise global access to the World Wide Web, and once fully operational is said to be affordable no matter on which continent or in which country you live. Currently, satellite internet is slow and cumbersome due to the height of 35 000 km where geostationary satellites are orbiting. Sending a signal on a round trip of 70 000 km before it is received will obviously always be slower than land-based cable internet. What makes Starlink different is that its satellites orbit at an altitude of only 550 km, which (theoretically) makes response time even faster than cable internet. All the user needs to get online is to subscribe to the service and point a small satellite dish at anywhere in the sky.

The beta service is already available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. While the internet speeds are not yet what they will eventually be, crucial lessons are being learnt to improve the service. Since the first batch of 60 Starlink satellites was launched in 2019, to date more than 1 400 satellites have been put into orbit.

According to a February tweet by Musk, Starlink aims to

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cover most of the earth by the end of this year and the entire globe by 2022.

Why use so many satellites?

Because of the low orbits, a higher density of satellites is required for sustained connectivity. A larger number of satellites crisscrossing around the earth also allows for global coverage – even in a place like Antarctica. To achieve its goal, Starlink has applied for permission to launch 42 000 satellites. Some perspective? At the beginning of 2019, there were around 5 000 satellites in orbit.

What are the benefits of Starlink in a developing country like Namibia?

Access to affordable and fast internet and the wealth of information found on it has educational and social benefits that can have an impact on the entire community. Internet access gives access to online platforms and services such as e-banking.

In rural areas, with the help of mobile electronic devices such as tablets, children can join digital classrooms and receive a proper education. Probably the single most important benefit that a system such as Starlink would provide.

Having the ability to find information on any topic with the potential to help improve and increase a range of activities, a subsistence farmer, for example, would be able to find

Looking Global

sustainable methods of crop production that could increase and secure his family’s food supply.

Furthermore, access to the internet increases the ease of communication, locally and globally.

What about light pollution The increase in the number of satellites reflecting light will create, and has already created, light pollution in the night sky. Imagine visiting NamibRand, the only International Dark Sky Reserve in Africa, to enjoy the spectacular clear starry sky of the Namib only to see hundreds of satellites whizzing about.

The problem lies not only with spoiling our night sky but it is already causing headaches for astronomers. They require as much darkness as possible to make their observations but the reflections of satellites are interfering. Although Starlink is researching different ways to mitigate this problem, would this even be possible with over 40 000 satellites in the sky?

And then there’s space junk Space junk is predominantly man-made and hurtles through orbit at speeds of more than 35 000 km/h. A collision between these pieces of debris and any craft or satellite could have rather catastrophic consequences. At present there are more than 23 000 known man-made

fragments larger than 10 cm out there, but we know this only because these pieces are large enough to be tracked. It is estimated that there are also roughly 500 000 fragments smaller than 10 cm in orbit. While Starlink’s satellites are able to use collision avoidance technologies they can only do this if whatever is heading towards them is trackable.

Sending up thousands of satellites increases the chances of collisions substantially, which in return would increase space debris. The worst case scenario is that we can effectively trap ourselves on earth if space debris increases to an uncontrollable level.

While there are companies working on ways to clear away space junk, humanity seems incapable of learning from past mistakes. We tend to first create massive problems and then try to fix them later, but never being able to fully return anything to its original natural state. Why just not screw things up in the first place?

Starlink has the potential to change the world for good, but at what cost? Is it taking one man’s power trip too far? And it must be asked if anyone, whether an individual or a country, has the right to change the night sky for all of us. Something the citizens of this earth all share. Starlink has the potential of being another of man’s mistakes – being too eager and short-sighted while causing irreparable damage for future generations. But that’s nothing new, is it?

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Maybe Soon, Maybe Not

I

Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel.

f there is a month in Windhoek that can be called mild, it is April. Sunrise comes quickly and the days are bright without being hot. Even the hottest part of the day, the notorious Namibian afternoons, are pleasantly mild. And in the fast-falling evening the cooling air drives away the mosquitoes (thank god!).

It can be a bit chilly, especially late at night – but nothing a warm duvet cannot solve. Besides those passing inconveniences, April days are some of the most comfortable in Namibia – not too cold, not too warm. When asked about the best month in which to visit this country of extremes, I suggest April: it is the one that is least likely to shock people who are not used to the tempestuous temperatures. September is a close second.

It is a great time to be outdoors. Morning and evening walks are refreshing and do not need to be rushed. The interplay of light early at dawn and dusk adds interesting hues to the trees and certain pieces of architecture. Any hill becomes a romantic viewpoint.

April is significant for another reason: by May, the cold begins to seep into the days. The brutal winter chill commences. There is, generally, less to do in the city: the summer boom for restaurants recedes, businesses reliant on foot traffic experience slow-downs, and even clubs begin to empty – dancing is a summer preoccupation.

Indoors – with a blanket or heater, an ample supply of hot chocolate, and a film to watch or a book to read – is where one wants to be in June, July and August unless one has a very good reason to venture outside.

This year, an unlikely justification presents itself as a raison d’être for enjoying the outdoors despite the certainty of the chill: maybe, just maybe, after being vaccinated – a recent possibility in Namibia – being outdoors without fear of people or crowds might become a thing of the past.

And with it, the chance to rekindle all of the community activities – church, cinemas, clubs, weddings, birthdays, and many others – that were cancelled by the devastating spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike previous Aprils, the 2021 iteration could herald a sudden and enthusiastic desire for the great outdoors despite the forthcoming cold months. The general mood seems to be this: winter be damned.

Avis Dam, for example, is filled with water and birdlife for the first time in a long while thanks to the heavy rains the country has received since last year. For what seems like an unbearable eternity the dam’s dry and cracked floor had been a sad reminder of Namibia’s tenuous water supply. Now, though, with the water rippling in the sun at all hours it has slowly come alive with interesting and exciting activity: couples lounging on the dam’s walls, families walking their dogs, hikers circling the expanse of water, and the odd kayaker. The blueness of the water

complements the stark brown mountains in the distance.

The landscape looks lush. Nonetheless, the fresh injection of life into one of Windhoek’s social and public landmarks remains cautious: everyone does their best to give each other a wide berth on the hiking trails – social distancing still keeps people apart. Although the air is fresh, and despite its invigorating disposition, it still carries the threat of contagion.

Then, some of Windhoek’s most popular social hangouts are looking forward to buzzing with life. Cramer’s Ice Cream Parlour in Independence Avenue has its bright yellow and red chairs out on the First National Bank’s verandah. Once a thriving hub for young and artistic energy, it closed with the first lockdown, one of the coronavirus’s first economic victims. It was doubtful if it would reopen as the months wore on, with restaurants and cafés struggling to lure diners back to the spaces they once frequented. Now, though, with new management, it is determined to rekindle the spark of days gone by. The experimental ice cream and gelato flavours are once again on offer. Once it becomes warmer, the monthly salsa parties it used to host could return. Buoyed by the recent arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in Namibia, the hesitancy of life is slowly disappearing from one of the most popular eateries in the city centre.

But everything largely depends on the Namibian populace being vaccinated and reaching herd immunity as quickly as possible. Without that important milestone being reached, the dull status quo of curfews, crowd control and lockdowns could return.

This April, with the days cooling and winter camped on the city’s edge, is quite different to those that have come before, especially the tough one endured in 2020: there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel; or, more precisely, at the end of a syringe.

Maybe May, June, and July – the coldest months in Namibia – could bring an unexpected rebirth: a return to a longawaited normalcy, modified in some ways, but devoid of the thing that has defined Namibian and global life for the longest while – fear.

How soon, one asks?

Soon. Hopefully.

Rémy is a Rwandan-born Namibian writer and photographer.

He is the founder, chairperson, and artministrator of Doek, an independent arts organisation in Namibia supporting the literary arts. He is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia’s first and only literary magazine. His debut novel “The Eternal Audience Of One” is forthcoming from Scout Press (S&S).

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ROYAL HUSTLERS Job Amupanda on the pursuit of economic liberation

H

ailing from the northern village of Omaalala in the Oshana Region, Dr Job Shipululo Amupanda is the poster child for the Namibian dream.

With his ascent to the highest office in the capital city’s municipality, he has given rise to a new hope among young Namibians that dreams come true when pursued with relentless passion.

Sitting down for his first ‘Royal Hustlers’ interview soon after he was sworn in as the Windhoek Mayor, the straight-talking activist, astute academic and firebrand politician shared with us his journey to where he is today.

Humble beginnings Job’s childhood was like that of many other Namibian children. “Growing up in the village, you lived with what you know, you’re content with what you have,” says Job as he recalls his humble beginnings. For him, nothing seemed out of the ordinary about his life until he came to urban Windhoek and realised that his background was different.

This realisation came with a desire to aspire for more in life, as well as an appreciation for everything that village life taught him. “Growing up in that environment teaches you the principles of identity, determination, rules and of not surrendering,” he says.

His introduction to leadership came in the form of an SRC nomination when he was a Grade 8 learner at Iipumbu Secondary School. At this young age he already showed promise, competing with senior learners to become the deputy head boy of the school.

The true meaning of success “Success must be inspired by the local context and circumstance. Success cannot be an independent variable, it’s something that you have to work for.”

For Job, personal success has always been linked to the success of his community. This started with his efforts as a university student to bring electricity to his homestead and continued with his work in the mayoral office and the AR movement.

Job is very passionate about liberating his people, particularly from socioeconomic challenges. Liberation is incomplete if it isn’t accompanied by economic freedom, he says.

He is driven by his pursuit of success and he has even taken a symbolic approach to hold himself accountable

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to achieve most of the objectives he sets out for himself.

“After achieving the major objective, that’s the only time I cut my hair or my son’s hair. It helps me set a spiritual space where I set my goals and objectives,” he says. So the next time you see the mayor sporting a full head of hair, know that he is working towards something big.

Committed to making a difference Long before he set foot into his current office, Job held leadership and servitude in high regard. After his first leadership role as a school prefect in high school he served on the SRC while studying at the University of Namibia.

This was followed by his election to the role of secretary for mobilisation and information in the SWAPO Youth League. However, his fierce advocacy for land reforms and democratisation of state institutions led to his imminent departure from the party, signalling the creation of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement of which he was a co-founder.

As an AR member, Job has continued to work tirelessly to push for land reforms and advocate for other issues affecting young people in Namibia.

He insists that he will keep fighting for these issues, even as he serves his term as mayor.

“Job is not going to change, I’m still an activist of the Affirmative Reposition Movement, I’m still an activist for social justice – I believe in the equality of opportunity, of dreams and aspirations.”

Not only focused on what is going wrong with the country, Job is also hopeful for its future. He says the unity among the diverse ethnic groups and the potential for change are what he loves most about Namibia.

“I’m very excited particularly with our generation that wants to achieve economic freedom, a generation that says that it’s not just about the past, we don’t live in the past. They give me confidence and they give me courage and determination.”

With leaders like Job, aged 33, among the generation that is gearing up to take the country to greater heights, there is no doubt that the future is in good hands.

Tune in to The Royal Hustlers on 99FM every Monday to Friday from 07h35, with Namibian Royal Hustlers featured on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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2021

Tour 1:

23 - 27 June

Tour 2:

28 June - 2 July

Join this life-changing four-day mountain-biking safari in Namibia's enigmatic Damaraland.

Cost: N$ 18 000 pp sharing (excl VAT) Four night stay at a luxury Wilderness Safaris lodge.

All inclusive.

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15 min sweat set with Ena

H

A workout that works with any schedule

appy New Year! You just blink and then it’s May. And if you think about what you’ve done with the past four months of 2021, I hope you can be proud and happy, especially when it comes to those fitness and health intentions of yours.

Time is precious, and physical health is crucial if we still want to be comfortably active at later stages in life. The following workout is a synergy of time efficiency and effective exercise.

Every little bit makes a difference, and the more of the little changes we make, the more of a change we will see and feel.

Today I want to encourage you to take a step and implement something that is going to change your life for the better, no matter how small the difference.

Full-Body Sweat Session

And how convenient that you just found yourself reading a piece with a totally do-able, lower body and core workout to follow!

Easy ways to Up Your Health • You’ve heard it – drink more water!

• Take a calcium supplement. It builds and maintains our bones, enables muscles to contract and supports our heart’s most basic function, beating.

• Make a point of not skipping your exercises for more than two days.

Ena holds a BCom degree in Marketing and Business Management, but because of her passion for fitness, she also studied to become a qualified Personal Trainer, working with individuals via online training and coaching.

You can find her on the socials at @fervent_wellness & @enavisagie_8.

You will need: • 15 minutes • Water Each exercise = 30 seconds Rest = 1 minute after the 8th exercise Complete the circuit 3 times (and if you have time, challenge yourself for a 4th round) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Jump Rope (mimic the movement if you do not have a rope – it works the same!)

Walking Lunges Mountain Climbers Single-leg Glute Bridges (left) Single-leg Glute Bridges (right) Bicycles Prisoner Squats Heel Taps

Single-leg Glute Bridges (left)

This is a quick and easy workout to incorporate into your day, and it’s one you can stick to for weeks! The key is to keep it challenging, so when it gets too easy, you can add weights where applicable, increase the working-time of each exercise, or add more rounds.

Shoot me a DM and let me know how it goes @fervent_wellness

Walking Lunges

Single-leg Glute Bridges (right)

Prisoner Squats 41

THE TRIBE

The Tribe Exclusive featuring Mpho Monyai

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I

f you are an avid follower of contemporary Namibian music, you will know this soulful singer better by her previous stage name – Lovey.

that someone had violated me. I tell the story of what I went through as a child and the confusion that followed for me.

The documentary has all those details.

After years of being out of the spotlight she has rebranded and shared some new music with fans under her real name – Mpho Monyai.

Who helped you to bring this message to life?

I normally tell people that it’s easier to talk to someone who has gone through the same thing, but I didn’t have anyone for that. It was hard for me and I never received empathy.

This is why I established the Hear Our Cry Foundation which is aimed at helping all survivors heal and speak out. To teach them about the power of forgiveness and show them its healing qualities.

A Namibian woman with a beautiful message of hope and recovery, Mpho opens up about her troubled past in this instalment of The Tribe Exclusive. She shares with us what it meant for her to step out of the limelight and focus on her healing. She also gives us the scoop on her new single, in which she bears the truth about her childhood trauma.

Where have you been and what have you been up to all this time?

I’ve been taking time off to heal. Obviously, after the divorce and everything that happened, I thought that I should take time off to find myself and heal from all the traumas that I’ve been through all my life.

I tell the story of what I went through as a child and the confusion that followed for me.

You mentioned that ‘I Forgive You’ is a song that you actually wrote way back but you only released it now. Tell us more about the song and the inspiration behind it.

‘I Forgive You’ is basically a personal story that I’ve been through. I’m a survivor of childhood sexual assault and I never went through the kind of healing that I’ve gone through now. So one would ask, why is it now the right time to release the song. It is because I’ve finally healed from my trauma. I want to use this song to send a message to others to say that they, too, can heal.

Are you working on an album and can we expect you to get back into music?

I’m not too sure about that. I don’t think I want to go back into music full-time but I want to use music, arts and culture as a tool to share awareness on social issues.

For more music and to keep up with Mpho’s work, subscribe to the Hear Our Cry Foundation on Youtube.

Watch The Tribe on One Africa TV (GOtv 90, DStv 284, DStv Now) every Friday at 18h30 with repeat shows on Saturdays at 17h30, and Mondays at 21h00.

Alternatively, listen to The Tribe on 99FM every Friday at 19h00, and follow The Tribe on Instagram @thetribenamibia and on Facebook @TheTribeNamibia.

Proudly Sponsored by

You also made a documentary about this journey, tell us about it?

I go into detail about what happened to me as a child and how it turned into depression and how it got me to realise

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Amora Erasmus

This is Namibia

Discovering

Windhoek

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Paul van Schalkwyk

Namibia’s capital is a bustling city with an estimated population of ± 400 000 (according to the City of WIndhoek). Windhoek lies in an airy basin in the central highlands, surrounded by the Auas Mountains in the southeast, the Eros Mountains in the northeast and the Khomas Hochland in the west.

W

indhoek is often described as a city with a ‘continental’ atmosphere. This can be ascribed to its architecture – historical buildings dating back to German colonial rule – as well as its cuisine, culture, dress codes and educational institutions. At the same time Windhoek has the colours, sounds and pace of a modern African city. Pavement displays of African drums and wood carvings from the north contrast with elegant shops offering sophisticated Swakara garments and Namibian gemstones set in individually designed jewellery. While some shops display clothing, silver and glassware imported from Europe, others stock casual and colourful garments from West Africa.

Because of the many hot springs in the area, Windhoek was initially known as Ai-gams (correctly spelt /Ai //Gams to indicate the click sound), a Nama word meaning ‘firewater’, ‘steam’ or ‘smoke’, and Otjomuise, a Herero word meaning the ‘place of steam’. The Nama captain, Jan Jonker Afrikaner, gave the town the name it carries today. In the early 1840s Afrikaner settled where the most powerful spring reached the surface. It is thought that in a moment of nostalgia he named the place after Winterhoek, the farm in the Cape where he was born. During the German colonial administration the town was called Windhuk, which was subsequently changed back to Windhoek. Public transport in the city consists mainly of taxis, while a bus service transports passengers from Katutura and Khomasdal to Windhoek and its various suburbs.

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This is Namibia

Elzanne McCulloch

Some landmarks and places worth a visit when in Windhoek: • Christuskirche, an Evangelical Lutheran Church, is one of the city’s most striking landmarks, built from local sandstone and completed in 1910. Its design was influenced by the Romanesque, neoGothic and Art Nouveau styles, and its stained-glass windows were donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II. • Tintenpalast, meaning Ink Palace.

This is Namibia’s original Government Building, completed in 1914 in time for the first session of the Landesrat. Since then it has housed a series of successive administrations and governments.

After independence it was renovated to accommodate the Namibian Parliament.

In front of Tintenpalast are the Parliament Gardens.

• Independence Museum, dedicated to the Namibian liberation struggle.

• The Supreme Court, the only postindependence building that reflects an African, albeit northern African, style of architecture.

• Namibia Craft Centre in the Old Brewery premises • Zoo Park, named after the zoo that once existed there. The curious twometre-high stone column was sculpted by well-known Namibian artist, Dörte Berner. The monument marks the place where the bones of prehistoric elephants were excavated in the fifties, now on display at the Earth Science Museum near Eros Airport. Also in the park is the Witbooi Memorial, unveiled in 1997 to commemorate the soldiers lost in battles fought between the Schutztruppe and the legendary Nama chief, Hendrik Witbooi.

• Gibeon Meteorite Fountain, where 31 of the original 77 Gibeon meteorites are displayed. The Gibeon meteorite shower, which occurred in southern Namibia southeast of Gibeon, is the largest known shower of its kind in the world.

• Windhoek Railway Station, built in 1912/1913. In front of the building is a narrow-gauge locomotive, and on the first floor is the TransNamib Railway Museum, well worth a visit.

Find more Namibian travel inspiration at www.thisisnamibia.com Follow @thisis_namibia on Facebook and Instagram for extraordinary Namibia travel stories.

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zina_namibia | www.prostudio.cc/zina

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Introducing

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eet Zina Namibia, a lifestyel guide for women. This team of Marketing, Video, and Photography professionals, create eye-catching content for impactful Namibian lifestyle brands.

As social media begins to grow here in Namibia, they are the first agency that specialises in creating engaging and authentic content for lifesyle brands, specifically focussed at a female audience. Today, relevant content is king, not the awkward placement of dozens of keywords. Traffic is useless if that traffic isn’t engaging, this is why they focus on creating and distributing relevant content that engages prospects who are the most qualified leads.

Zina plans out how to market and optimise high-quality content long-term that will provide brands with the content they need to gain customer attention, maintain interest, and expand to reach new prospects.

Their content primarily focuses on lifestyle, including design, decor, food, fashion, travel and weddings. Their aesthetic is youthful, modern and minimalistic. They believe in partnering with businesses that have faith in their approach and allows them to translate their brand into a story that resonates with their audience.

They love creating beautiful content, that brands can use on social media platforms.

MEET THE TEAM Talli is an animator at Prostudio and enjoys all things travel and minimal. She enjoys fashion and illustrations, and Zina incorporates these in an aesthetic manner.

Juné van der Walt is born and bred in South Africa but lives and works from Windhoek. She is a portrait, editorial, lifestyle and wedding photographer known as Urban Lens Photography and she’s been photographing people and places for just over 10 years now. “Being part of Zina means I have a place to write and capture the things I love while sharing bits and pieces of my everyday life as a photographer. From the newest fashion trends, travelling around Namibia or inspiring others through Zina speaks to my heart. My work is my heart, and I want to share my heart with you!”

Kimberley Krieger is a holistic health coach and blogger.

She is super passionate about all things food, cooking and living a healthy lifestyle. You can find her in Zina’s recipe and travel section. Her life motto is: “The bigger the fridge the better!”

From June 2021, Zina will be sharing their fabulous lifestyle content in the pages of FlyWestair magazine! Fashion, health, beauty and more wonderful things for fabulous ladies to enjoy! From health and wellness inspiration to tops tips on how to create the most aesthetic content, follow their journey in-flight or on our digital magazine pages.

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Photography Feature: Chris Botha

the soft beauty of daily surroundings

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Photography Feature

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orn and bred in Namibia, Chris, a chartered accountant, moved to Luxembourg after university. Having spent almost a decade in Europe and photographing spectacular destinations across that northern continent, he returned home some six years ago. He is the co-founder of PayToday, the popular home-grown payment app. Today Chris resides in Namibia’s capital with his wife Klara and their beautiful daughter MilaRosa. The romantic and stylised view of the world through his lens captures the soft beauty of his daily surroundings. Whether on the family farm, or at one of Namibia’s most stunning wild destinations or even just at home, Chris has a remarkable way of making life seem slow, steady and free.

Follow him on Instagram at @orangeduke.

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Getting jabbed The Why, How and Where of getting your COVID vaccine in Namibia

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amibia’s Ministry of Health and Social Services announced Phase II of the country’s nationwide vaccine roll-out in mid-April. Phase II, which was set to start on April 19th, enables and encourages all Namibians to access vaccinations at the identified Vaccination Sites across the country.

WHY According to the World Health Organisation, getting vaccinated is safer than getting infected. “Vaccines train our immune system to recognise the targeted virus and create antibodies to fight off the disease without getting the disease itself. After vaccination, the body is ready to fight the virus if it is later exposed to it, thereby preventing illness.” The WHO also recommends that those who have already been infected with COVID-19 should still be vaccinated, unless their healthcare provider recommends otherwise, as there have been instances where people get reinfected.

According to the Vaccines for Hope coalition in Namibia, vaccinations reduce your chances of contracting the virus and, if you nevertheless end up contracting it, also reduce the severity of your reaction to infection. The coalition encourages those Namibians willing and able to be vaccinated, to actively consider joining the nationwide roll-out as soon as possible so that Namibia may build up its herd immunity.

HOW The WHO stated that medical professionals can best advise you whether or not and when you should receive the vaccine.

The vaccine will be administered to you by a healthcare worker who will then observe you for 15-30 minutes to check

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for any unexpected reactions before allowing you to leave the vaccination area. Those getting vaccinated may expect mild-to-moderate side effects for a day or two, like with any vaccine. These may include a low fever and pain or redness at the injection site.

Visit the WHO’s website and check out the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines explainer and Vaccines Safety Q&A to learn more about common side effects and to find out who should consult with a doctor before vaccination.

WHERE The Ministry of Health and Social Services has made available both fixed and mobile vaccination centres in all 35 health districts in accordance with the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 vaccines. Both AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines will be offered. You can check out the list of vaccination sites to find your nearest or easiest accessible point on https://bit.ly/2S0gixB or on www.travelnewsnamibia.com.

Remember, vaccination is 100% voluntary and we should continue to respect the rights of those who opt not to take the vaccine.

To further halt the spread of the virus, please continue to wear your mask, sanitise and practice social distancing even after you have received your vaccination.

All enquiries related to COVID-19 vaccination can be directed to the COVID-19 Call Centre at 0800 100 100, WhatsApp 085 110 0100, or the Ministry of Health and Social Services’ PR Office at +264 61 203 2054.

StartUp Namibia

ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE THROUGH TELEMEDICINE

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ith its considerable size and small population, Namibia is one of the world’s top destinations when it comes to enjoying unspoilt natural beauty and seemingly limitless space. Lodges are often situated in remote areas at substantial distances from towns and human presence. The perfect getaway – until you need a doctor.

It’s exactly this problem that inspired Dr Armid Azadeh to start Macquarie Medical Care and launch Namibia’s first telemedicine service provider called Dr MacQ. His inspiration behind this groundbreaking form of medical care stems from visiting lodge-owner friends at one of their lodges. Enquiring about medical facilities for the staff he was told that when ill they would spend two to three days away from work to visit the local clinic due to the distance to get there and back.

Apart from missing additional workdays, there are no doctors at those clinics, basic facilities with only nurses and medicine.

As a result, Dr Azadeh started providing an ad hoc telemedicine service to his friends’ lodges for their staff and guests. Soon, however, this evolved into an official service for subscribed lodges that includes fully-fledged medical records of employees, advising and helping with on-site medication and food checkups. By developing an app specifically for the tourism sector Dr MacQ’s on-call doctors have quick access to staff’s medical history. In return, employees can easily reach the doctor via video call. The same applies to guests should they become ill or have any medical queries.

With Covid-19 effectively shutting down all tourism for several months in 2020, Dr MacQ was forced to concentrate on marketing to businesses in urban areas, especially Windhoek. According to Dr Azadeh companies were quick to see value in the service they could provide, and realised that a telemedicine solution is an obvious choice to keep up productivity in these unprecedented times. His background in pandemic planning also came to the fore in being able

to develop protocols and policies for companies in terms of best practices to keep individual staff as well as the entire office as protected and productive as possible. With companies encouraging staff to work from home, hospitals becoming full and doctors not being able to see patients, telemedicine emerged as an excellent and effective tool to provide healthcare to employees. Urban centres to a large extent suffer from the same problems as rural areas in the sense that a majority of the workforce still depends on clinics for healthcare. They don’t necessarily have the means to afford a family doctor or have access to one, for example. By integrating Dr MacQ healthcare services with on-site clinics using virtual kiosks, companies quickly see the value in keeping staff healthy through easy access to proper healthcare which in return increases workplace efficiency.

At the same time that Dr MacQ started implementing telemedicine solutions for city-based companies, they also began developing a system working with pharmacies in order to realise their aim of providing trusted telemedicine to all.

The system allows patients to visit any partnered pharmacy and have a consultation at a virtual kiosk with any of the Dr MacQ on-call doctors. The pharmacies are able to do basic diagnostics like taking blood pressure and temperature. This helps the doctors to diagnose patients during the private online consultations. If the patients need a prescription, the doctor can immediately send it to the pharmacist who is able to fill it out right there and then. Currently, Dr MacQ is available in Windhoek at Langerhans Pharmacy, Medisun Apteek, Windhoek Pharmacy and Bergdoring Pharmacy, and in Swakopmund at Central Pharmacy.

With plans to increase the number of pharmacies providing online consultations and continuously finding new ways to improve their services, Dr MacQ is fulfilling the vision of its founder Dr Azadeh by bringing quality healthcare within reach through making it affordable and more accessible.

To find out more visit www.drmacq.com

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ROCK THE BOAT A very necessary cultural reset

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n September last year, the Ngandu Festival team launched what has become one of the most innovative and game-changing musical productions Namibia has ever witnessed.

Top Cheri

Created as a way to keep the Ngandu Festival brand alive at a time when the restrictions on events began, ‘Rock The Boat’ has grown tremendously as an extension of the popular festival.

Anyone who’s followed the “floating stage” concept from the premiere episode will tell you that this is the cultural reset that Namibia needed. Featuring performances by hip and happening Namibian musicians cruising on the mighty Okavango River, the production is a sight to behold with spectacular scenery including the best sunsets you’ll ever see. So while I was a fan of the show from the day it first premiered on Youtube, attending the live recordings in Rundu a few weeks ago was a revelation of the magnitude of the show and its potential for contributing a lot of value to the Namibian entertainment sector.

Dream team One of the first things that stood out to me as soon as I stepped onto the set of the production was the actual magnitude of it all.

Melky’s Art Photography

Elia da Vinci

Ethnix

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A dedicated team consisting of a photographer, videographer, social media manager, caterers, sound technicians, executive producers and coordinators worked tirelessly to put the show together. My time on set made me realise that every ‘Rock The Boat’ episode that I ever watched and all of them yet to come are the culmination of blood, sweat and tears from a group of young Namibians with one common goal – pushing the local music industry to greater heights.

Unforgettable moments On this occasion, three very unique and equally talented musicians made up the lineup of performers who recorded at the breathtaking Samsitu Riverside Camp for upcoming episodes. From the Kavango Region, Elia da Vinci represented with style. Award-winning hitmakers Ethnix and Top Cheri also made the line-up, becoming the first musicians from other regions to “Rock The Boat”. And they did not disappoint.

M.I.G Top Cheri’s heartfelt delivery of her famous hits – especially ‘Calling Heaven’ – gave me goosebumps, while Ethnix made me a fan after hearing them sing live for the first time.

The band is another highlight of ‘Rock The Boat’ – with some of the best Namibian instrumentalists coming through for the musicians who are required to perform live.

The fashion and the style Another beautiful thing about ‘Rock The Boat’ is the inclusion of fashion and beauty brands which are all sourced locally and ensure that the performer’s look their best.

This time around, Sirenga, Zuluboy, Santia Pororo and Simeone Johannes were brought on board to dress the three performers over the three-day recording period.

great brand partnership potential and room to introduce an audience element if logistics allow. And if like me, you’re getting tired of attending the same old events, you’d agree that this one would be very necessary for Namibia’s events culture.

The idea is to take this concept to the next level and make it a platform that celebrates creatives from all over Namibia.

Pushing the culture, one episode at a time…

Through ‘Rock The Boat’, Namibian musicians have an opportunity to showcase their talent and especially their ability to perform live in this very unique setting. Once the show’s momentum picks up, this will be a great platform to introduce hidden gems, celebrate legends and promote the culture of live performance. There is also

As Michael Kayunde, producer of the show, says, the platform will only get bigger and better. “The idea is to take this concept to the next level and make it a platform that celebrates creatives from all over Namibia.”

Executive produced by Andreas Gustav, ‘Rock The Boat’ is available to view on the Ngandu TV Youtube page. Otherwise, if you want the exclusivity of watching the live recording from the Okavango River, this might just happen if you book into Samsitu Riverside Campsite and book a boat ride at the right time.

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based Communications Specialist, Blogger and Freelance Fashion Writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni and on Instagram @rukeekaakunga.

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When in Windhoek:

Williw Olivier

Go for a Hike

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indhoek has an advantage over most capital cities. While it is the financial and business hub of the country with a bustling CBD and sprawling suburbs, a 20-minute drive will take you to the outskirts of town where development ends and commercial farmland with its grass, trees, birds and wildlife stretches out to all sides. This makes getting out to find peace in nature after a hard day’s work or a long flight very easy, and what better way to do this than going for a hike. Whether you just want to go for a quick stroll, do a day mission or spend a couple of days exploring the hills and valleys of Windhoek’s surroundings on foot, is all up to you.

Avis Dam Situated on the eastern fringe of the city, Avis Dam was built in 1933 to provide potable water for Windhoek.

Unfortunately the little to no yearly inflow the dam gets meant it wasn’t the most reliable source of water and it has long since been dismissed as a water reservoir. For a long time Avis Dam has purely been used as a recreational area, and because of its proximity to the city it is a favourite for joggers, dog walkers, horse riders from the nearby stables and birders.

on the outskirts of the southern and southeastern suburbs is extremely popular among locals and visitors alike. Trails are interlinked and signposted at every junction providing information on the distance to the next junction as well as the elevation and the average slope for the more technical minded. Trails vary in length and you can choose one that suits the time at your disposal or the type of activity you prefer.

Some trails will give you beautiful views of the city to the north or of the foothills of the Auas Mountains in the other directions. Also keep an eye out for wildlife that can include anything from guineafowl, jackal and warthogs to even kudus.

Khomas Hochland Hiking Trail For the serious hikers who want to spend some time in nature as well as enjoy the challenge of a multiple day hike, the Khomas Hochland Hiking Trail will tick all the boxes. It is a sixday hike on the picturesque Khomas Hochland Plateau, which takes you on a 91 km circular route across five neighbouring farms – Düsternbrook, Otjiseva, Onduno, Godeis and Monte Christo. The trail starts and ends at Düsternbrook Guestfarm, just 50 km northwest of the city.

A day mission or spend a couple of days exploring the hills and valleys of Windhoek’s surroundings on foot, is all up to you.

Avis has different hiking routes that range from just a quick walk along the dam wall to wider circuits that take you into and over the surrounding valleys and hills. The busiest times at Avis are usually early mornings and late afternoons when visitors come for their pre- or post work exercise, while on weekends families and bigger groups of friends will often wander along the trails enjoying the fresh air and good company.

The dam itself completely dries up in some years, but when it does have water as at present, it attracts a large number of birds. Depending on the time of year, birders are likely to see everything from crimsonbreasted shrikes and Egyptian geese to migrants like European bee-eaters. Be on the lookout for various raptors hunting mice and other critters between the rocks and reeds as well as the occasional unexpected visitors like great white pelicans.

The route gives hikers a chance to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Khomas Hochland by exploring its dry riverbeds and waterfalls, open plains, thorn-tree woodland, deep gorges and interesting rock formations.

As the trails wind through rugged scenery and unspoilt nature, hikers have time for birdwatching, spotting wildlife and identifying trees and geological features.

Accommodation consists of neat campsites that have everything you need, from water to wood and braai equipment as well as a shower and toilet. Backpack or slackpack options are available. The slackpack option is quite a treat as the night’s host farm provides meat and other fresh farm-style goodies for a well-deserved dinner.

For those in search of a more relaxed weekend getaway instead of six days of epic hiking, Düsternbrook and Godeis also offer day hikes or weekend trails with accommodation on the farm for a perfect weekend break.

Farm Windhoek With its 70 km network of trails and jeep tracks for walking, mountain biking and running, Farm Windhoek

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Love Namibia

RHINO BATH | A black rhino takes a bath at a waterhole in the western side of Etosha National Park. You can often find rhinos, elephants or plains game cooling down in waterholes across the park in the truly hot summer months.

Elzanne McCulloch

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NAKARA SHOP WINDHOEK Gustav Voigts Centre Independence Avenue 131 Tel/Fax 061 224 209 Email: info@nakara.na NAKARA SWAKOPMUND The Arcade, Tel/Fax: +264 64 405 907 NAKARA FACTORY WINDHOEK 3 Solingen Str. Northern Industrial Tel +264 61 429 100

www.nakara-namibia.com

www.debmarinenamibia.com

COVID-19 has put great pressure on our nation’s health system. To halt its spread, we partnered with the University of Namibia School of Medicine (Hage Geingob Campus) and donated two fully-equipped and licensed PCR testing equipment laboratories. To improve our nation’s response to this pandemic at a time when it needs #ActsOfBrilliance the most.