By Kevin Kamati
Born at Oshikango in the Ohangwena region to a big family, Amon Namundjebo started his schooling there before moving to Windhoek in 1994 where he started his grade three and four at Mandume Primary School before moving to the Namutoni Primary School.
“Growing up I was very active and played soccer with my peers and I enjoyed going to school my favourite subject being science and social studies.”
Namundjebo grew up with his uncle in Katutura, whose loved for boxing influenced young Namundjebo who then followed suit and started boxing during his high school years at the Hage Geingob Secondary School where he finished his Grade 12.
“I started boxing with friends at the Augustineum Secondary School where Mistake coached us with the likes of Uutoni and Julius who have gone to pursue careers in sport.” Life became difficult for the young Namundjebo when he finished his high school, as the time was right to fly out of the nest and found himself a place to rent. Namundjebo applied to a small college to do Electrical Engineering, which he did not complete as it became too expensive. Namundjebo started working with a friend at a cell phone repair shop, where he did the repairs. Namundjebo perfected his trade but the industry was soon dying out and Namundjebo found himself pondering his next move.
In 2007 Namundjebo took his savings and invested in a pick-up truck where he would be providing transport services. Namundjebo started by printing flyers and leaving them at furniture shops offering to transport potential client’s furniture at a cheaper rate. And during course of the year Namundjebo found himself transporting workers to and from work. “I created leaflets and dropped them at furniture shops and offered a cheaper rate. I also helped people move. I later started transporting people to and from work.”
Namundjebo later started transporting security guards to work, and with this tender started to learn the trade. He studied the routines and behaviour of security guards at a small company at the time and later approached the boss where he presented his findings. The owner soon started consulting Namundjebo on how to improve his weak areas and he would act as a supervisor.
This was the birth of Namundjebo business career. He sold his pick-up truck and moved back to the North, Oshikango, where he registered his company, Amon Investment. Namundjebo started with one security guard in Oshikango in 2008, developed his business by advertising through leaflets once again and leaving them at shops, ect. But at the same time networking with shop owners. “I knew an Indian or Pakistan shop owner who started making use of my services. He would later introduce me to other business owners in his community, and my business started expending. This was a difficult time as the floods caused major problems. Starting off I was also faced with other problems as I could not manage to purchase all the necessary equipment for my guards.”
At the end of 2009 Namundjebo’s business had grown and was employing around 16 security guards, moving into an office building at Luanda office complex. Namundjebo fought of stiff competition and started pondering on his next move into surrounding towns and villages with his security services. By the end of 2012 Namundjebo business had around 70 employees, growing to 100 employees by the end of 2013. By this time Namundjebo was offering security services in Oshikango, Ondangwa, Eenhana, Okongo and Oshivelo, and was growing his territory, proofing to be a force to be reckoned with. Namundjebo has now moved to Windhoek and is trying to get a hold in the Capital. A young, driven entrepreneur with the fighting spirit of a lion he has returned a victor and employs 160 people today.
Namundjebo is a firm believer in God and attributes his success to the Lord Almighty, whom has guided him and has planted his feet firmly in the ground. Namundjebo plans on growing his business in the Capital and is looking to invest into other business opportunities.
His advice to the youth is to put their faith in the Lord, and to build their foundations in Him; pray and fight for their dreams, starting small but growing their businesses believing that all the big companies today started small. Passion killing is a problem we are facing and Namundjembo believes that we have many broken homes in Namibia, and it is up to the parents to teach and guide their children, and for fathers to take up more active roles in their children’s upbringing.