Junior Sitwala Kaapala
An elementary study of the idea of a freshwater fish-processing plant in Namibia balances greatly on the vast commercial benefits in the investment of a project of such calibre for our country as a collective, and the Zambezi region in particular.
The copyright holder for the idea of establishing the plant along the banks of the great Zambezi River was claimed on 22 February 2016 under section 2(1)(a) of the Namibia Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act 6 of 1994 by an organisation called Namibia Greenfields Enterprises CC, recently renamed to Lake World Fishing Industries Pty (Ltd).
At a glance, the concept seems relatively simple. However, it’s very capital-intensive on labour and the related costs needed to set up an industrial freshwater fish-processing plant from the very stage of ideation to the actual implementation of the project, including operations and an assessment of the benefits’ review plan. Lake World Fishing Industries proposes that the fishing sector in the region be industrialised and commercialised into a sustainable business model, able to support the region and country by creating jobs, food security and specialised training in agro-food processing.
The proposal includes a two-tier project involving production as a way of supplementing supply from the natural water bodies around the region, and agro-food processing of selected fish species for sale to the local and international markets, similar to other freshwater fish industries that have successfully been implemented in Eswatini, Zimbabwe and South Africa, including countries in central and east Africa.
In addition to the high demand across the African continent, freshwater fish industries in SADC have also penetrated the EU and other markets abroad. With the abundance of fish stocks in the Zambezi region, we have the potential to do better.
Undeniably, the technical expertise required to consolidate this kind of project is diverse and demanding, which necessitates the purse-holders in the government as one of the project stakeholders to provide assistance to the copyright holder with respect to undertaking an exhaustive and extensive feasibility and market study before approaching financial institutions or development agencies to invest in the project. Records in our position, dating as far back as 2009, indicate the government’s willingness to support the project through some of their SME modules in the ministry of industrialisation, which was echoed by Tjekero Tweya when he was the deputy minister at the official opening of the Zambezi Bream Festival and Cultural Expo on 7 August 2014. A freshwater fish- processing factory along the Zambezi River not only adds value to the sector, it also beams with a lot of other opportunities that have massive economic potential, and are therefore far more rewarding than the high start-up costs associated with the project. I am, therefore, confident that financiers would relish the opportunity of investing in such a project with the right deal presented.
However, to make a compelling bid for funds, the approach and strategy of such an attempt must be thorough. The market and feasibility study will give both client and investors a bird’s eye view of the project, particularly the constraints, expectations and benefits’ review plans, which are vital to providing an objective investment analysis. At the very top of the beneficiaries, before the country as a collective, is the Zambezi region. Therefore, administrative support for the project at the regional level will go a long way. We understand consultations are underway with the regional council and the office of the governor. This project is a major win for you, as it reflects on your leadership.
Manufacturing is a priority for development finance in Namibia, food security is a global agenda. We will only be limited in our capacity to submit a compelling application for funding. Analogous studies show that a medium-sized plant for agro-food processing meeting the EU, Asian and other standards will cost an estimated N$50 million and above. This exceeds our annual regional budget for development projects 10-fold, raising an obligation to provide for the people.
* Junior Sitwala Kaapala is an IT graduate from NUST, a Prince II practitioner in project management and a partner in Excelsia Consulting. He hails from the Libeza village in the Kabbe North constituency, Zambezi region. elisitwala@gmail.com