Granite-and-wood pencil and locally bottled water highlight opportunities to convert Namibian resources and creative talent into commercial manufacturing, import substitution and new business opportunities.
Elvis Mboya
Namibia’s ambition to retain more economic value from its natural resources is finding expression in two locally developed products: a pencil made from granite and wood sourced from Otjiwarongo and locally purified bottled water.
Commissioned by Ignite Namibia, the products were launched at a breakfast event at the NUST Hotel School in Windhoek on Wednesday, placing local innovation and creative entrepreneurship within the wider debate about manufacturing, import substitution and domestic value addition.
The commercial proposition extends beyond the finished products. Their expansion could create opportunities across raw material sourcing, processing, manufacturing, packaging, branding, transportation and retail distribution.
The pencil, developed by John Namupala, a creative from the College of the Arts, demonstrates how locally available materials can be transformed into consumer products through design and innovation.
With further investment in production equipment, finishing and packaging, the concept could develop into a stationery and corporate merchandise business serving domestic and regional markets.
The bottled water enters a different but equally competitive market, where established brands have built distribution networks and secured positions in supermarkets, hotels and other retail outlets.
For both products, the challenge is moving from innovation to consistent commercial production.
Creative talent meets commercial opportunity
The launch was attended by deputy minister of information and communication technology Wenzel Kavaka and director of arts Kariko Amagulu.
Delivering the keynote address, Kavaka said sustainable growth of Namibia’s creative industry required support to enable local talent to develop commercially viable businesses.
He welcomed the two products, highlighting their potential to create value chains, business opportunities and employment.
Kavaka linked the initiative to the fifth pillar among the seven key pillars of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s administration, positioning creative industry development within the Government’s broader economic priorities.
Ignite Namibia co-directors Venessa Auchas and Armas Shivute Armas expressed pride in bringing the two locally developed products to market.
Armas, a Namibian filmmaker and creative entrepreneur, brings experience from the creative sector to the initiative.
His involvement reflects the potential for creative professionals to extend their commercial activities beyond traditional artistic production into product innovation, entrepreneurship and manufacturing.
The initiative also raises the prospect of connecting creative talent with industrial development, particularly where design can improve the marketability of products made from local resources.
Winning the battle for retail shelf space
Kavaka challenged Namibia to increase local ownership and participation in the retail market, questioning why locally available products continued to struggle for space on supermarket shelves dominated by foreign-owned businesses.
“Yes, we have supermarkets in Namibia, but those aren’t our supermarkets. They belong to South Africans. And yes, we have bottled water on those shelves, but they are not ours. So this is our own water and pencils that are locally sourced and made by Namibians,” he said.
“Let’s fill those shelves with locally made products and have them at public and private events.”
His remarks highlighted a structural challenge facing domestic manufacturers. Producing locally is only the first step.
Businesses must also secure distribution agreements, competitive pricing, reliable supply and sufficient production capacity to satisfy retailers.
Supermarkets, hotels, schools, government institutions and corporate buyers represent potential markets. Conferences, exhibitions and corporate functions could provide additional demand for branded stationery and bottled water.
However, competing against established suppliers will require more than patriotic consumer support. The bottled water business must manage purification costs, packaging, transportation and quality standards.
The pencil requires product standardisation, efficient manufacturing and pricing that makes it commercially attractive to retailers and institutional buyers.
Access to finance will also determine whether the products can move beyond limited production.
Machinery, working capital, marketing and distribution infrastructure require investment. Local procurement commitments could provide an initial market, but sustainable growth will depend on repeat orders and commercial competitiveness.
For Ignite Namibia, the wider opportunity is to demonstrate that creative innovation can become an instrument of economic participation, generating businesses around locally sourced materials and Namibian intellectual property.
The two products offer an early test of Namibia’s ability to convert its resources and creative capabilities into finished goods rather than relying on imported consumer products.
Ultimately, the economic value of the initiative will be measured by production volumes, retail contracts, sales, jobs created and the extent to which local suppliers participate in the value chain.
The real test begins after the launch, when these products must compete for customers and a permanent place in the market.
