Peya Shingwandja, the founder of E-Tech, started his business journey as a university student fixing phones and laptops with his friends. Today, he runs his own tech company and helps train young people in the same field.
He grew up in a business-minded family, but as a child, his focus was on playing soccer. It was only later, while studying Information Technology at the University of Namibia, that he began exploring business more seriously.
Together with a few friends, he started repairing phones and selling electronics on campus.
“We were just doing it to make extra money. But we enjoyed it and worked well together,” he said.
In his final year, a local company noticed their work and offered them funding and mentorship. It was a big opportunity, but it came with a choice to leave school or to go into business full time. However, he managed to graduate.
“He approached me first, and I told him I was loyal to my team, and he had to take all of us,” said Shingwandja.
Eventually, he decided to gain work experience and joined MTN Namibia around 2018, just as the company was starting up in the country. But after two years, he felt the job no longer matched his passion.
“I was doing more logistics than practical work. It became boring,” he said.
Then the same mentor came back and asked him again: Did he want to keep working for someone else, or did he want to run his own business?
“I had to leave MTN and become my own boss,” said Shingwandja.
Today, E-Tech operates from the Katutura Incubator Centre in Windhoek. The business offers phone, Wi-Fi installations and laptop repairs and gives training opportunities to students. The young entrepreneur now has three interns from local universities working in his shop.
“I want to give others the same chance I was given. It’s not just about business, it’s about building skills and growing together,” he said.
Aina Ipinge, Technical Sales Administrator, stated that she started working at E-Tech earlier this year. When she joined, she knew nothing about the field and was placed in a different department, so she had to start from scratch. Today, she knows most of the systems and processes.
Ipinge studied nursing at Welwitchia University but had to put her studies on hold due to financial constraints. When she came across a job advertisement from E-Tech, she applied, went through the interview process, and was selected. Now, she finds herself in the world of technology.
“I gained knowledge through E-Tech and ended up loving what I do. I don’t mind going home late if I’ve completed my tasks. E-Tech feels like family, the environment is peaceful, and we learn from one another. We are unique in our own ways and committed to providing the best, high-quality services. We work as a team and are always ready to seize new opportunities. So far, we have maintained a clean record, and we aim to keep it that way. We may be a small company, but we deliver some of the best services and we’re friendly too,” she said.
Photo: Pinehas K Pinehas