OMUTHIYA - It was a blissful and glamourous weekend for Tsumeb residents as the municipality organised a gospel evening, a beauty pageant and a sports fun day, to mark the start of the 16th annual Copper Festival, which will officially start tomorrow.

The preceding activities of the festival are also beneficial to both the youth and to emerging entrepreneurs, as Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb is conducting a two-day Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) capacity development training workshop. 

A business conference will also be held during the course of the festival. 
According to the festival’s chairperson Julius Gaeseb, the intention is to host a memorable event for both residents and visitors alike and to promote both economic and social activities at the copper-mining town. 

“In addition to these activities, there will be a youth conference which is the first of its kind in the history of the festival, which will accord the Namibian youth an opportunity to dialogue. There will also be a mentorship programme,” said Gaeseb.

“The copper festival has therefore become a formal economical marketing event for the town of Tsumeb, with the town displaying its competitive advantages as an investment and tourism destination,” he stressed. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will officiate at the event on Thursday.