Twelve Namibian micro, small and medium enterprises will have an opportunity to showcase their products at the upcoming Creative Africa Nexus on the side-lines of the Intra-African Trade Fair in Cote d’Ivoire this November, following their success at the 2023 Technovation Social, which took place Windhoek on Friday 31 March 2023.
An initiative of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), the 2023 TechNovation Social is a biennial event, established to support and draw inspiration from Namibia’s culture and creative industry (CCI) to unlock enterprise opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
According to the NIPDB, the CCI in Namibia continues to be relatively under-supported and under-recognised. This was particularly apparent during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic when many MSMEs within the industry found themselves without an income.
Conversely, this sector offers some of the most dynamic business and career opportunities worldwide.
In other countries, the pandemic underscored the importance of the CCI as a catalyst for the creation of new platforms, infrastructure and facilities, capturing the attention of the world. The NIPDB, thus, believes that an empowered CCI can carry the Namibia brand to the world through its timeless creations.
“The NIPDB is mandated to be the lead coordinator of MSME activities in Namibia and unlock enterprise opportunities that support the development and growth of MSMEs. We achieve this by fostering trust relationships between various stakeholders to bridge the gap between those who have access to capital and markets and those who need access to those resources. We believe that this is key to empowering MSMEs across industries, including but not limited to CCI,” said CEO and chairperson of the NIPDB, Nangula Uaandja.
TechNovationSocial, thus, aims to rejuvenate Namibia’s CCI sector by offering MSMEs in this industry access to international markets, funding and revenue-generating prospects, as well as a platform to carry the Namibian brand and showcase their talents on an expansive stage.
The participating MSMEs represented various subsectors, including new media and graphic design, fashion design, architecture, technology, software development, game development, pottery, textile manufacturing, music and performing arts, cosmetology and filmmaking, among others.
“While creatives work from a place of passion, it is equally crucial to prioritise the business and financial aspects of their ventures. If they are unable to handle these matters themselves, investing in a knowledgeable and trustworthy support team can be the difference between success and failure.
Talent alone is not always sufficient to achieve success. To take the business to the next level, one needs to leverage new tools and resources. We at the NIPDB, along with our partners, want to support them on that journey,” shared the executive director: MSME Development Innovation and Acceleration at the NIPDB Dino Ballotti.