Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Sixteen-year-old Florian Fechter who traded as “vetstert.com”, won first prize in the 14 to 18-year-old age category in the Bank Windhoek BizzKids.
A passionate sheep farmer from southern Namibia, Fechter’s business idea is based on selling lamb on the internet. “Lambs are displayed on the website and customers can select their preferred one. For example, there is a contract for lambs between one and four months old. After signing of contracts, the customer will pay a monthly fee. When the lamb is ready to be slaughtered, contact is made with the customer and the carcass will be delivered to them,” says Fechter.
Thirteen-year-old Hendrie Leff, from Gobabis, won in the junior category. His business idea is based on recycling wastepaper and traded as Paper Homemade Briquettes.
“I was not happy with the state of pollution in my town and came up with this solution,” said Leff. With the help of his father, he collected wastepaper around the town.
After that he invented a machine that compressed the papers into cubes. “With this, one can save on buying expensive charcoal or gas,” said Leef.
The two machines with a manual on how to build it, were also for sale. “I participated in a science fair some time back in Windhoek and did not win. But this time around I can go back home and to my school feeling very proud of my achievement. I would like to say thank you to my family, school and most importantly, Bank Windhoek, for this amazing opportunity,” says Leef.
The Bank Windhoek BizzKids Market took place over the weekend at Maerua Mall shopping centre in Windhoek, where young promising Namibian entrepreneurs traded their products, skills and services.
They were competing in this year’s Bank Windhoek BizzKids Competition. The competition was divided into two different categories. Scholars between the ages of 8 to 13 years competed against each other while those between 14 to 18 years old formed the second category.
Bank Windhoek BizzKids Competition is an entrepreneurial competition designed to help scholars realize their business ideas. It was established eight years ago and is a platform created for scholars across Namibia, between the ages of 8 and 18. The selected finalists come together and compete by selling and promoting their business ideas, products, services and skills.
Below is the full list of winners:
Category 8 to 13 years:
First Place; Hendrie Leff (13) from Ben van der Walt Primary School, Gobabis. He won N$7,000 for himself and N$5,000 for his school.
Second Place: Daniel James (10), Ajê Engelbrecht (11) and Christian Engelbrecht (9) trading as Juice It Fruit Juice from Omeya Private School, Windhoek. They won N$5,000.
Third Place: Nourhan Elshewikhy (9) trading as A Bag of Cookies from Van Rhyn Primary School, Windhoek. She won N$3,000.
Category 14 to 18 years:
First Place: Florian Fechter (16) trading as vetstert.com from Deutsche Höhere Privatschule (DHPS), Windhoek. He won N$7,000 for himself and N$5,000 for his school.
Second Place: Patrick Beggs (16) trading as Bottle A Meal from Deutsche Höhere Privatschule (DHPS), Windhoek. He won N$ 5000.
Third Place (joint): Luka Serrer (16) trading as Luka’s Sweet Sins from St Paul’s College, Windhoek. He won N$3,000.
Ruan du Toit (18) and Ettiene du Toit (16) trading as Braai Nation, from Windhoek High School, Windhoek. They won N$3,000.