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Mekemo Trading 
(Young artisans skills-based finance)

Operated by Rens Mekemo Shilongo, aged 33, Mekemo Trading provides automotive services including mechanical services, spray painting and panel beating for cars, trucks, buses, farm implements and mining and construction equipmentOperated by Rens Mekemo Shilongo, aged 33, Mekemo Trading provides automotive services including mechanical services, spray painting and panel beating for cars, trucks, buses, farm implements and mining and construction equipment.

Significance

The enterprise services a number of businesses. With a shortage of vocational skills to drive industrialization, finance for young artisans is geared to make skills that are in short supply available to a spread of enterprises.

Young entrepreneurs are expected to form a pool of skills and entrepreneurial capacity for the future of Namibia. They are also expected to generate employment.

Employment

Mekemo has created employment for four mechanics and two panelbeaters. The company expects to increase its staff complement as it grows.

 

Cabatana Private School

Cabatana Private School in Oshakati used DBN finance to expand its capacity for learners.  The school was able to cater to 782 learners, of whom 71 are orphans who receive free education. 
With the expansion the school will be able to cater to 1,330 learners and will be able to offer private education for Grades 11 and 12.

Socio-economic significance

Namibia has a young population, and this requires significant capacity for educational facilities and operations. In turn, this places stress on education facilities as classrooms may be overcrowded and the teacher learner ratio may be sub-optimal.
 
By financing private education, DBN assists with expanding capacity for learners who can benefit from private education. This, in turn, reduces stress on public sector educational facilities.
The school is wholly owned by previously disadvantaged women entrepreneurs.

Employment

Cabatana Private School has a majority of female employees. Larger numbers of female employees achieve the Bank’s goal of a greater degree of inclusiveness for females.  The new capacity is expected to create 11 more employment opportunities.
 
The school creates additional incomes by using approximately 11 temporary staff. The expansion will create additional temporary jobs in the construction sector.

Transfer of skills

Skills required to manage an educational institution are diverse, ranging from academic to white collar (administrative) to blue collar (for maintenance and support).  The initial investment in academic education is made by the teacher, however further investments must be made for the purpose of staying abreast with current practices and knowledge.
 

Oshikuku Town Lodge

Oshikuku Town Lodge provides accommodation and business facilities at Oshikuku. It is 50% youth-owned, with 25% women ownership.
 
The Lodge used DBN finance to add 12 rooms, bringing the total of its rooms to 20, addition of a conference hall, boardroom, multi-functional hall, entertainment area, a cultural village and improvement of its boundary wall.

Socio-economic significance

Provision of additional accommodation at the small town of Oshikuku enhances tourism opportunities by allowing for larger numbers of guests, and strengthens the prospect of business at the town by providing overnight accommodation, a boardroom and a conference hall for entrepreneurs.
 
The Lodge adds to the incomes of Oshikuku and its surrounds by providing incomes, as well as supporting the town and its enterprises with an environment conducive to business travel.

Employment

Upgrading of the lodge created 38 employment opportunities. The additional facilities have created 21 employment opportunities.

Transfer of skills

Hospitality and accommodation requires skilled and semi-skilled employment. On-the-job training deepens the pool of semi-skilled workers, and the Lodge will also require skilled workers with formal education for its operations.

Eco-Sanitary Trading

Eco-Sanitary Trading, owned by two Namibian women, used DBN finance to finance a machine to manufacture affordable sanitary pads, as well as for operating capital and office equipment.

Socio-economic significance

The cost of sanitary pads is beyond the means of many Namibian women and girls, and this places them in the position of having to use unhygienic or dangerous methods or to stay away from work or school during menstruation.
 
Affordable sanitary pads enable women to continue working and girls to continue attending school while menstruating. This has major benefits in terms of income generation and uninterrupted education for girls.

Employment

In addition to employment for the two owners, the company has created employment opportunities for 10 people. The employment opportunities favour women. The facility operates in shifts, requiring a higher number of employees.

Transfer of skills

Primary transfer of skills lies in operating the equipment to manufacture the sanitary pads, as well as for packaging machinery. The machine has to be repaired by the company that provided it.

Namibia Plastics and Packaging

Namibia Plastics and Packaging does blending, extruding, printing, finishing and recycling in order to manufacture, stretch hoods, shrink (printed and clear), stretch wrap (clear and colour), bags (printed and clear), plastics used in construction and agriculture, tapes and strapping, all of which used to be imported from South Africa or Europe.
 
The company uses leapfrogging technology, new technology which substantially improves on technology used by its competitors, to make gains in efficiency.

Industrial significance

Approximately 50% of packaging has been imported. In addition to the expense entailed in the long supply chain, a hidden cost is difficulty in implementing new packaging due to delays caused by distance to foreign suppliers.
 
Namibia’s industrialisation drive will require greater capacity for manufacturing, and this includes packaging. Namibia Plastics and Packaging is a significant increment on existing local capacity.
Additionally, it reduces cash outflows required for imports.

Employment

In a technologically advanced company, such as Namibia Plastics and Packaging, employee skills are not easily substitutable, so the company relies primarily on permanent employees.  A small number of temporary staff are employed on a needs basis, depending on the requirements of tasks at hand. Female employees mainly occupy white collar and support positions.
A staff trust (10%) is in place, and 100% of permanent staff use the medical aid fund.

Transfer of skills

Training takes place on an continuous basis, to ensure complete familiarity with technology and new technology used by the company, as well as to maintain and improve on operational efficiency.
 
 

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