2016-10-28Staff Report 2 Windhoek One of Namibia’s oldest entrepreneurs and business moguls, Frans Indongo, recently launched a new brand identity for his Frans Indongo Group. The launch was done at a dinner for the ‘who’s who’ in corporate and political circles of Namibia at the Windhoek Country Club. Among those in attendance were Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and former president Sam Nujoma. “I have been through so many challenges. I have been on the height of success and valleys of less success. I conquered many things, but also lost some. I had so much excitement and happiness, but with that also sometimes I faced the real pain of worries,” Indongo said. He further said his entrepreneurial journey appears long, but when looking back now it appears to have been a short journey, for which he is grateful. “Yes, despite the many hills around me, I am grateful to have the sense that I have managed to reach the summit,” he said. He said the single thing that stands out in his story of success is the people that made his entrepreneurial journey possible. “My success is intertwined with those who were with me on the road,” he said. Dr Sam Nujoma commended Indongo and the Frans Indongo Group for making significant contribution to various sectors of the economy. “I’m aware of young people who have ventured out as entrepreneurs and started businesses,” Nujoma said, adding that many can learn from Dr Indongo’s story of humble beginnings and his courage to re-engineer his business to suit the economic times. “Your dream of [making a] contribution to your partners, your community and the country at large will remain through the plans you have set up and the new way you have positioned the Frans Indongo Group in our economy,” he added. Nujoma used the opportunity to encourage all entrepreneurs to redouble their efforts, saying the work of the second phase of the struggle for economic independence has begun in earnest. He said fortunately young entrepreneurs can stand on the shoulder of successful entrepreneurs, such as Indongo, to inspire them as they chart the future of Namibia. “The challenges are not in starting a business. The real challenge lies in growing and sustaining the venture,” he stressed. He said the sheer magnitude of the odds stacked against entrepreneurs requires a special kind of discipline and an unshakable confidence. Nujoma implored young entrepreneurs to rise to the occasion and transform their business ventures into profitable entities. 2016-10-28Staff Report 2
