2008-02-01Staff Report 2 Anna Ingwafa Thumbs up! Oshakati is the town to be if your business is not prospering whereever you are at the moment. But before you decide to come here, please try to understand the situation in this town. There is 'Ubuntu' in Oshakati. People are happy and ready to greet you even if you do not know them. About business, I wonder if one needs a license to do business in this town. It seems every place is a business proclaimed area. All you need to do when you roast your kapana, the smoke should not go inside other people's offices. If you do that, the municipality will not be at your throat at all. You won't go hungry in this town. There are informal restaurants all over the place, street vendors all over, selling roasted pieces of either beef or goat meat popularly known as kapana while others sell grapes and roasted corn. Sometimes, one does not need to go out of the office to buy. The sales lady at one of this informal restaurants will deriver without you having to make an order 'just in your face' kind of businesses. If you are not interested in along the road businesses, say if you want to open a big wholesaler, make sure in your stock there is brown sugar (for brewing Tombo), Tafel Lager and bread and you should have loud music at your business. With all that, you won't regret your earnings. But be warned! Traffic signs are a mere decoration in Oshakati. Stop signs mean taxis can drive through without having to stop, that is any time without indicating even. So, make sure you concentrate on your driving in order to make it to your destination. But remember, you are not the only one on the road. There will be cattle grazing along the road and also in the middle of the town, probably shopping for something to eat too. So be on the lookout. Don't drive too fast because there is smoke bellowing from hawkers' open chimneys. After observing the situation here during the Christmas holidays, I found that most of the cars that got involved in accidents in Oshakati during the festive season were not originally from the town, going by their number plates. This was so because abiding by driving rules in this town is not very important and the inhabitants know better how to avoid their counterparts. Another interesting thing, you do not need to look around for a dustbin as you go around doing your shopping. As long as you find an open space, just throw away your litter. It is acceptable to do so here. Even throwing the rubbish on land where someone else is doing business is fine, as long as you do not mess up the individual. Concerning public toilets if you are a stranger, just ask where the new location for street vendors from Agostinho Neto Street is because next to the vendors, there is space where people just relieve themselves. I hope this information will help you next time you decide to visit Oshakati. Eewa! 2008-02-01Staff Report 2
