Andre Messika Diamond, a supplier of polished diamonds to the luxury jewellery market that recently opened a polishing factory in Windhoek, this week opened the very first parcel of Namibian rough diamonds purchased from Namib Desert Diamonds. Ultimately, Messika’s goal is to build a legacy in Namibia by responsibly using this precious resource for the benefit of the entire Namibian nation.
At the parcel-opening, the company’s founder Andre Messika said he plans on using their jewellery brand, Messika Paris, to promote the Namibian diamond and tourism industries.
Messika Paris is an internationally renowned and respected jewellery brand, which has secured stars like Kendal Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Kate Moss as brand ambassadors.
“At present, Namibia is already a remarkable and competitive destination for tourists because of its vast open spaces, natural beauty and diversity of cultural experiences. The international exposure Messika Paris brings will significantly contribute to the generation of foreign exchange earnings, foreign investments and the country’s economy in general,” Messika enthused.
The company also plans to invest in local communities, as this infusion of foreign capital into local communities will carry not only a direct benefit but also indirect in the form of employment, which in turn will lead to an increase in income-producing locals and enhancing spending power. At present, 50% of Messika’s workforce consists of people living with various disabilities.
At the same occasion, tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said the association of Messika with Namdia will make Namibia more attractive to celebrities associated and affiliated with the brand, which will in turn positively impact the domestic tourism sector.
“The pragmatic creativity of this type of initiative is an immensely powerful tool that ignites innovative potential to eradicate unemployment not only among women and the youth, but also amongst one of the most vulnerable groups in our country, the disabled,” he added.
The Namibian tourism industry is currently fighting to survive as the impact of Covid-19 hollowed it out, causing mass business closures, layoffs and in turn unsustainable debt for the operators and employees alike, Shifeta explained.
“As the world economy becomes more integrated and recovers from the aftermath of Covid-19 and the economic downturn, we are keen to see the establishment of symbiotic initiatives between the tourism sector and the diamond sector,” the minister observed.