Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Although held annually, venues for Christmas Street Markets in Windhoek and in other towns around Namibia too, are usually the central business district. For the first time ever a festive season street market will take place right in the heart of Katutura later this month on Friday and Saturday.
With the encouragement and support of German Development Agency GIZ, and in association with the Namibia Football Association (NFA) Girls Soccer Centre, SMEs Compete has conceptualised and will stage the event.
“During the course of the year SMEs Compete has staged four events in Katutura, in partnership with GIZ and NFA Girls Soccer Centre”, says SMEs Compete’s Danny Meyer. “Two were structured to help novice, emerging and established entrepreneurs hone their business skills and the other two focused on fostering an enterprise culture among youth in greater Katutura area”, adds Meyer.
“Then we thought why not introduce the Christmas Street Market concepts in Windhoek’s largest, oldest and internationally known Katutura”, asks Meyer rhetorically.
Meyer says the NFA Girl Soccer Centre Festive Market fits in well with SMEs Compete’s work as the social entrepreneurship entity has promoted entrepreneurship for over a decade now since it commenced operations on March 1, 2006.
So, the Festive Street Market in Katutura affords small businesses an opportunity to benefit from increased consumer spending over the festive season.
In turn, for those looking for Christmas unique gifts for loved ones, family and friends, the NFA Girls Soccer Centre Festive Market will be just the place to find it. Products on sale will include garments, footwear, curios, crafts, jewellery, accessories, children’s wear and novelties with festive season flair.
As an added draw card and part of an overall strategy to promote entrepreneurship and foster an enterprise culture among Namibians, SMEs Compete will run six side events during the two-day event. This includes talks on making a business idea a business a reality, 10 steps to starting a business and graduating business from the informal to the formal sector.
Meyer says there is space to accommodate 20 small firms and points out that this event should become a regular feature, taking place in Windhoek’s Katutura high-density suburb annually. In addition to enterprises from Windhoek, entrepreneurs from coastal and northern towns will be also be displaying their wares.