By Desie Heita
Windhoek
The Tjihero Meat City business is registered with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, a senior official from the Ministry of Trade and Industry has confirmed.
A UK-based Namibian entrepreneur, Leon Tjihero, owns the company in partnership with a private investor from the Netherlands who pumped cash into the company in return for equity of 49 percent.
In an earlier report that appeared in the New Era edition of April 22, it was reported that an inquiry with the Division of Registration of Companies and Close Corporation in the Ministry of Trade and Industry did not yield results to confirm whether or not the company is indeed registered.
However, the liaison officer for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Hilia Kandjamba, has since confirmed that the Tjihero Meat City (TMC) is indeed registered with the ministry as a close corporation.
TMC intends to set up a US$30-million export abattoir at Prosperita Industrial Area and export more than 40 000 carcasses per month to the United Kingdom, the United States of America and South Africa.
Slaughter animals are to be sourced from both sides of the cordon fence, according to Tjihero. He said the “ongoing government programme backed by the Meat Board of Namibia to move the veterinary cordon fence more northwards will create marketing opportunities for TMC”.
The TMC abattoir is to be open by November this year, Tjihero had earlier said in an e-mail correspondence from the UK.
Tjihero said TMC is also registered in the UK with a subsequent registration in the United States of America to follow shortly.
Tjihero said over 20 prospective clients in the UK, USA and South Africa have already shown interest to purchase 3 000 meat carcasses per month.
TMC abattoir, according to Tjihero, will slaughter over 42 324 carcasses per month, of both large and small stock.
“Given poor returns offered by local butchers and the logistical and transport costs, it is not difficult to increase [the current meat exports] and TMC will do so. Given the supply chain competitive edge of TMC, it’s natural setup, it will also not be difficult to take business away from the existing abattoirs,” Tjihero had earlier said.