MAYENZERE – In the quiet corners of Kavango West, what began as a modest effort to put food on the table during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown has transformed into a thriving poultry empire.

Josephine Kapango Da Costa, the founder of Jostaria Trading CC, is proving that with grit and a bit of “chicken sense”, grassroots businesses can become the backbone of the Namibian economy.

By day, Da Costa serves her country as a health programme officer for the ministry of health and social services in Nkurenkuru. By dawn and dusk, she is an entrepreneur.

“I first kept chickens just for my own consumption. But then the neighbours started knocking. They saw what I was doing and asked, ‘Why can’t you go big?’” she said.

She took that advice to heart. Today, her poultry coop at Mayenzere village boasts a diverse flock of over 600 birds, including Lohmann Browns, Sasso, Broilers, and hardy local breeds. Her business provides a dual stream of income through fertilised eggs and table poultry, serving school hostels, hospitals, and the local community.

The journey has not been without its hurdles. After successfully supplying local schools, Da Costa recently saw a contract move to another provider, a common reality in the competitive world of public procurement in Namibia. However, rather than slowing down, she pivoted.

Her reputation for quality led her to become a key supplier for the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform in Kavango West, where the government now buys her stock to support other emerging poultry startups in Kavango West.

Her impact was officially recognised in June 2024. Out of hundreds of applicants, she was named a winner in the Old Mutual Namibia SEED initiative, securing third place in the Kavango West region. Along with the award came a N$20 000 grant to help scale her operations.

“This business is a fast way to make money because people are always eating. To the unemployed and the working class: start small. I did, and now I am employing two people and helping feed my region,” she said.

– jmuyamba@nepc.com.na