WINDHOEK – Eqstra Fleet Services Namibia (Pty) Limited (EFS) have been rebranded as Omatemba Fleet Services Pty Ltd, with effect from 30 May 2019. The word Omatemba, in both the Oshiwambo and Otjiherero languages, means a fleet of wagons.
“We have been operating in Namibia since 2004 as part of a joint venture between ourselves and Epia Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd,” explained Murray Price, Chairman of Eqstra Fleet Management Namibia.
“This joint venture agreement resulted in the formation of an economic empowerment fleet management company, Omatemba Fleet Services (Pty) Ltd, which has become one of the largest leasing and fleet management companies in Namibia. Eqstra Fleet Management owns 70 percent of this company and we believe the time has come to more fully align ourselves with Namibia by adopting this new brand name for Namibia,” Price added.
Omatemba provides fleet management and outsourcing solutions to fleet operators, providing a range of services including full maintenance rentals, operating rentals, managed maintenance, GPS Tracking Solutions, fuel card management, roadside assistance and accident management. The company’s head office is situated in Windhoek with satellite offices in Oranjemund. Major contracts have included the supply of 858 rented vehicles to government on a 24-month contract, a fleet management partnership with Nampost for the last 19 years and a fleet management contract with Namdeb Diamond Corporation in Oranjemund, which is now in its 11th year of operation.
“One of the major principles of our operations in Namibia has been economic empowerment,” said Price. “As a result, we only employ Namibian nationals to staff our operations and all vehicles leased and fleet-managed by Omatemba are sourced, procured and maintained through Namibian suppliers. This philosophy has ensured the success of our strategic partnership with Epia Investments, an empowerment company with a broad-based ownership by previously disadvantaged Namibians. Currently, our fleet comprises some 1000 vehicles, all of which are owned and managed by the business.”
In addition, Omatemba implements skills development and training programs, apprenticeship opportunities and mentorship schemes that facilitate skills transfer. Support is also given to small- and medium-sized business enterprises from their foundation through business management training interventions.
“Our team in Namibia is fully-geared to provide complete fleet solutions to our Namibian clients, including companies in the private sector as well as public entities. Our service offerings are provided in-house and controlled through service level agreements; we outsource/sub-contract vehicle washing in Namibia, fuel cards roadside assistance and short-term vehicle insurance. We will rely on Eqstra Fleet Management in South Africa only for financial administration and human resources control and administration,” Price noted.