2017-11-03Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter Windhoek-November 1 marked a new beginning for the Gondwana Collection, when all of its 821 employees become shareholders. This milestone in the history of the company is part of the recent restructuring of the Gondwana Group, with Gondwana Holding Limited now acting as the group’s holding company. From its humble beginnings in the late 1990s, when a farm was bought on the eastern side of the Fish River Canyon and the first lodge opened its doors, Gondwana has endeavoured to incorporate conservation and social responsibility into its ethos, with the motto ‘You can only be successful if you make others successful’. Over the last 20 years, it has adhered to its strong beliefs, laying a solid foundation for the company, as it has grown into one of the largest hospitality groups in the country. The announcement to issue shares to its employees is in line with Gondwana’s philosophy that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. According to managing director Gys Joubert, who spearheaded the restructuring of the lodge group, “Gondwana has always been a company that lives its values. Values of caring for our country, caring for our communities, caring for our staff members and caring for our environment.” He reminds staff that being part of Gondwana comes with a responsibility to leave everything in better condition than you found it. This underlying spirit of sustainability entails that we look after what we have not as owners, but as custodians for the next generation of Namibians – for our children and their children. The number of shares issued to staff-members is loyalty-based, with long-serving members allocated a larger quantity of shares according to the years worked. The staff incentive share-scheme elevates Gondwana employees from staff members and members of the Gondwana family to co-owners, raising the team to new and greater heights. 2017-11-03Staff Report 2
