Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) Senior Manager: Corporate Communications, Jerome Mutumba, has announced that the Bank will visit the regional capitals of north-eastern Namibia in order to stimulate demand for development finance. The visits begin in Rundu on 5 February, continue to Nkurenkuru on 6 February, and end on 9 February in Katima Mulilo.

Talking about the regions, Kavango West, Kavango East and Zambezi, Mutumba says they hold significant opportunity for development, in terms of infrastructure and enterprise, however he notes that demand for finance can be strengthened, based on demand from local authorities and entrepreneurs, respectively.

Mutumba says that calls for finance from the regions are low in relation to their potential for economic activity. He illustrates this with the fact that, since inception, there has been no call for finance for tourism and hospitality. This flies in the face of the combination of tourism and hospitality potential, and the Bank’s ability to provide tailored finance, which is flexible, and meets the needs of the tourism industry in other regions of Namibia. The same, he says, is true of other sectors.

In reaching out to the north-eastern regions, Mutumba says the Bank is not only showing its capacity to provide finance, but also challenging entrepreneurs to come forward with their business plans and translate them into operational opportunities with the aid of DBN finance.

The Bank, he says, seeks not only greater levels of economic activity spread across Namibian regions, but also a spread of sectoral activity across the regions.

The three regions, Mutumba says, are connected by the Kavango River, and this offers opportunities for coordination of activities which the Bank may finance. Tourism might explore and further develop the river as a travel route which can add value to tourism in the three regions. He also points to the riverine fishing industry, which is a source of fish regarded as a delicacy in many restaurants across Namibia. This, he says, indicates the need to explore potential for processing and packaging the fish.

Mutumba goes on to add that Nkurenkuru is a particular hotspot for development. As a recently proclaimed regional capital, the centre offers numerous opportunities for further development. This includes excellent possibilities for tourism and hospitality, wholesale and retail, and social enterprises such as private schools and private medical facilities.

On the topic of infrastructure finance for north-eastern Namibia, Mutumba says that the Bank is one of the central agencies tasked with contributing to development of infrastructure. In this light, he encourages local authorities in Zambezi, Kavango East and Kavango West, to approach the Bank.

The construction of a road, he says, stimulates wellbeing and enterprise at either end, and at all the centres alongside it. Servicing of land, and construction of housing, are important elements in the quest to improve social wellbeing, he continues. Local authorities can draw on the Bank’s expertise in the field of infrastructure financing as a pathway to development.

Mutumba concludes by saying that local authorities and entrepreneurs should view the Bank as a partner in achieving the goals of development of their respective regions. In order to develop the three regions, the Bank sees potential for cooperation and, consequently, expects more applications from the regions.

Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) Senior Manager: Corporate Communications, Jerome Mutumba, says the Bank is seeking opportunities to finance retail, wholesale and franchises. The Bank, he says, has a wide range of products that are geared to assist retail and wholesale operations to grow, as well as to enable new operations to open their doors.

Mutumba says that the Bank is particularly seeking retail expansion into regions with lower levels of economic activity. In addition to employment opportunities, retail in particular stimulates regional growth.

On the topic of the footprint of the sector, Mutumba says that large concentrations of retailers in larger centres, such as at Windhoek or the coast, experience diminishing returns as more outlets vie for the consumer dollar. By spreading to larger centres in regions which have been historically ignored as sources of enterprise growth, retailers can find new opportunities to grow. Group retail operations may also benefit from more frequent spending, and additional disposable income that would previously have been restricted due to the need to travel for shopping.

The Bank’s range of products, Mutumba says, is the optimum mix to support the sector. Products include finance geared for construction of retail premises and warehousing, vehicle and asset financing in terms of which moveable assets including vehicles financed by the Bank through instalment sale agreements (ISA), and term loans. Contract based finance is available to support tenders for provision of goods to state owned entities, the private sector, and NGOs, among others. Franchise finance is also supported by performance guarantees required by master franchisors.

On the topic of flexibility, Mutumba says DBN understands that there may be challenges faced by the enterprise. In order to address this, the Bank may tailor finance to ensure viability of the enterprise.