Staff Reporter

WINDHOEK - Namibia’s three-year old cutting-edge diamond marketing and sales company, Namib Desert Diamonds (PTY) Ltd (Namdia) and the country’s member-based mobilising force, Team Namibia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence with Namdia’s membership of Team Namibia and strategic partnership on 1 July 2019. 
Both organisations, involved with marketing and finding a sustainable route to market, recognise the importance of building a strong recognisable brand, as well as the value of mutual brand association of two of Namibia’s key national brands. Their mandates are to see the biggest return for Namibia’s diamonds in the international market and also to constantly raise the awareness of the offer of local manufacturers, producers and service providers, respectively.
The MoU encourages collaborative marketing efforts between the organisations. This will lead to raising the awareness on Team Namibia’s digital marketing platforms (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram) through distribution of content provided by Namdia. Joint campaigns and competitions to reach targeted audiences in Namibia and within the region, will also take place. Namdia will display Team Namibia’s member logo on various traditional and digital marketing platforms, and will also distribute Team Namibia’s Member Directory where relevant. In addition, Team Namibia’s member activities provide the opportunity for networking and the regular exchange of sales and marketing trends amongst members. This will provide Namdia further access to Namibian businesses. 
Namdia supports the Team Namibia’s mandate to raise the awareness of the need to shop, buy and procure local products and services. 
Kennedy Hamutenya, chief executive officer of Namdia says: “Team Namibia deserves all the support it can get.  As a member-based section 21 company, it is doing great work in alignment with Namibia’s national development plans. The organisation, currently financed solely by membership fees, is making a valuable and important contribution in securing market access for Namibian goods and services, ultimately to secure Namibia’s sustainable economic development. I believe that Uukumwe, Team Namibia’s mantra and call for collaboration, is highly relevant in today’s economic environment.” 
It would be fantastic if buyers of Namibia’s unique and highly sought-after diamonds, will recognise the opportunity of brand association”. 
Bärbel Kirchner, Team Namibia’s account director says: “We are really very excited that Namdia has joined Team Namibia. We are exceptionally proud that we have our own Namib Desert Diamonds join our group of members that offer high quality goods and services and effectively contribute to our economy. Namibia’s diamonds are of rare quality, ensuring a niche product in the luxury brand segment. 
“We treasure that organisations from Namibia’s main contributing economic sectors have taken the lead and joined Team Namibia, such as Seaworks, the Namibia Tourism Board and now Namdia. This is a sign of strong collaboration and team spirit in our efforts of securing marketing access – both domestically and outside of Namibia’s borders.”  
Established in 2016 by government, Namdia trades as a private company, governed by the Companies Act, with limited liability. Namdia was established as a result of the signing of a Sales and Marketing Agreement between the government and the De Beers Group of Companies relating to Namdeb Holdings’ diamonds. 
In terms of this agreement, Namdia is to purchase, on behalf of government, a Purchase Entitlement consisting of 15 percent per annum of Namdeb’s total run-of-mine production. Its objective is to obtain maximum value for government by trading in rough diamonds on the global market and to create a Namibian footprint in the downstream market.