Brandplan Advertising emerged as the winner of the SME category in the Development Bank of Namibia’s (DBN’s) Good Business Awards (GBA).
This is a proudly Namibian branding and signage manufacturing company. DBN hosted its 2023 GBA in Windhoek on Tuesday evening, and the prestigious event was officiated by finance and public enterprises minister Ipumbu Shiimi.
Brandplan Advertising offers a wide range of products and services such as fully-fitted joinery, corporate and safety wear, corporate gifts, indoor and outdoor signage, flags, information boards, lightboxes and much more. Since opening in 2016, they have successfully stayed up-to-date with the latest branding technology in order to offer their clients a wide array of bespoke solutions. Customised products are their speciality, and they manufacture it all in-house and locally.
In his keynote address, Shiimi noted that the first Good Business Awards took into consideration job-creation, local sourcing, the sustainable and innovative use of resources, sound administration of an enterprise, and good governance. Those judging criteria for these awards remains the same, and the finalists and winners epitomise that. His message to finalists and winners was one of encouragement, as he said their presence is an indication of excellence. The minister described the finalists as agents of development, and highly valuable components in the enterprise ecosystem.
Describing the relevance of the awards, DBN CEO John Steytler said good business consists of enterprises and initiatives that are appropriate to the Namibian economy, which satisfy demand in the market, and which are well-administered.
“Good businesses are also those which can adapt to changing circumstances and economic shocks, as we have seen in the last few years. Good businesses use their resources to accumulate capital either to grow, to evolve, or to buffer themselves against economic shocks,” he added.
Good businesses, Steytler pointed out, require the development of an entrepreneurial culture at the level of the enterprise as well as at a national level. The GBA thus showcase the best enterprises financed by the DBN.
“They are sustainable, they satisfy needs in the market and the economy, and they are administered for long-term success. However, the finalists and winners also set examples for other businesses. By examining their models and practices, other businesses can learn what it takes to succeed. The bank also learns from its finalists and winners. They become a standard against which the bank can gauge its borrowers, both in the application phase and in the support that it can offer to its existing borrowers”, Steytler added.
Other finalists in the SME category:
Kryo Investments Namibia is a local SME working in the industrial gas industry, providing products, services and complete logistical solutions in the provision and application of industrial gases.
Uukalinawa Pharmacy was established in Ongwediva. The company has since expanded and opened another branch in Ondangwa. The company sells products ranging from controlled licensed pharmaceutical to generic finished dosage forms, veterinary medication, cosmetics and other healthcare products.
The winner of the large enterprise category, Nampath Laboratories, was founded in 2012 by Esegiel Gaeb. It is a company that offers medical laboratory diagnostic services for private and state doctors. The company is proudly Namibian, with their main laboratory situated in Katutura. Nampath Laboratories is committed to providing the most convenient pathology testing service to the clinicians of Namibia and beyond.
The other finalist in the category was Oluno Shell Filling Station. Owned by Sagarias and Sarah Hangula, it is a wholly Namibian-owned company. The owner took out a loan from the DBN in order to rebuild and set up a fully-fledged filling station with a 24-hour convenience store and take-away.
It is in close proximity to the main road in the central business district of the town, has 16 permanent employees, and has boosted economic activity in the town of Ondangwa.