An exclusive interview with Desmond Amunyela, Executive Director, Business Development.
Paragon Aviation’s executive director, Desmond Amunyela (DA), shared insights on the company’s first year managing ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA), which began on 19 August 2023. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer’s (WO) Hertta-Maria Amutenja, he described the journey as both challenging and successful, highlighting significant improvements in service quality, including on-time performance. Amunyela emphasised Paragon’s commitment to supporting Namibia’s aviation infrastructure, including plans for a technical centre and training facility.
WO: Can you tell us a bit about Paragon’s journey and what led it to venture into the aviation industry?
DA: Paragon Aviation Services was birthed from the opportunities created by Namibian airports. We began by supporting and providing services to the airport community, with one of our first business ventures being a small coffee shop at Eros Airport. Simultaneously, we were involved in media and advertising operations under Pamoja Media Rental and Eshisha Media, which we later sold. One thing led to another, and today we operate in various African countries. If you analyse Namibia’s strategic development plans, they clearly articulate the importance of air transport, which is considered the safest and most preferred mode of transportation. Currently, less than 5% of people in Africa travel by air, highlighting the immense untapped potential within the remaining 95%. Paragon is a company that doesn’t necessarily follow where others have gone. Instead, we prefer to operate where local capacity is lacking, helping nations become self-sufficient.
WO: Reflecting on the past year, how would you describe Paragon’s Aviation Services’ first year providing ground handling services at Hosea Kutako International Airport since taking over from Menzies Aviation on 19 August 2023?
DA: It has been an interesting year, marked by incremental success. This success is characterised, among other things, by improvements in the passenger experience at all touchpoints of the Paragon Aviation Services brand. Paragon has set out to achieve its main objective: providing safe, secure, and on-time performance for all its airline customers as it continues to operate in this complex yet fascinating industry. While we are not yet where we want to be, we have made significant improvements, particularly in the areas of passenger experience, safety, security, and on-time performance. Those of you who have flown with us can attest to the substantial improvements in on-time performance and the more professional passenger service offerings. However, there is still much more to achieve as we strive to restore HKIA to being Africa’s most seamless and pleasurable airport facility from a passenger experience standpoint. For the longest time, as Namibians, we were made to believe that we were incapable of providing aircraft ground support services. This myth was dispelled in less than a year, despite ruthless attempts and unscrupulous legal manoeuvres by foreign multinational companies who felt entitled. They did everything they could to undermine Paragon’s capacity and prevent us from commencing the aircraft ground support contract at Hosea Kutako International Airport. How dare they suggest that Namibians are unable to handle aircraft? Such insults must be met with strong resistance. Air Namibia successfully managed ground handling services from start to finish, using only Namibian personnel. When the foreign company came in, 99.9% of the ground handling staff were still Namibians, except for one South African who was here to supervise the 99% of our people as if we were a herd of cattle. These are the kinds of actions that can make us doubt ourselves as Namibians, gaslighting us into believing in some imaginary sophistication or incapability, as if we Namibians aren’t sophisticated enough. The good name and reputation of Namibia were tarnished by the irresponsible outcry and unfounded accusations made by the now defeated and discredited former operator at HKIA. But justice prevailed. Today, a year later, we boast a well-trained and motivated team of aviators with a full array of state-of-the-art Ground Support Equipment (GSE), including an aircraft tug capable of handling any size aircraft landing at HKIA. In fact, Paragon has the capacity to handle all of Namibia’s aircraft movements. This is evident in the feedback we receive from our customers, both airlines and passengers. In that regard, we are planning a media open day to showcase our operations to the public. This is important for us to continue building public confidence and assuring the flying community that their safety, security, and time management are of paramount importance to Paragon.
WO: What were some of the most significant challenges you faced during this transition, and how did you overcome them?
DA: The commencement of operations came with its challenges, but we were able to overcome them with relative ease because we were determined and our plans were meticulously arranged and executed. Of course, the delay tactics deployed by the previous operator, along with wild and opportunistic allegations questioning Paragon’s ability to provide professional ground support services, presented additional hurdles. Moreover, we had to invest millions to maintain a state of readiness for over a year, without any income, before we could begin providing services and defending these lies in court. A more significant challenge arose when dealing with individuals who know how to leverage the lingering effects of apartheid, making the victor feel like the villain in the court of public opinion. One of apartheid’s legacies is its ability to make the oppressed feel guilty even when they are not. I grew up around that sort of mentality. For example, if your boss (Jou baas) hit a bad golf shot, he would blame you for it. As a good caddie, to help your Lanie maintain his sense of superiority, you had to accept the blame, even though it wasn’t your fault. Otherwise, the boss’s ego would be bruised. So, we understand that the resistance we face is about more than just being outcompeted by a black, well-organised, and determined company whose aim is to break barriers. We know exactly what is happening. But, unfortunately for those who exist to benefit from the prevailing neo-colonial structures, in Namibia, they should be aware that there is a group of determined, ‘de-kafirnated’ Namibians at Paragon, ready to defend, with a high sense of pride, the gains of our hard-won freedom.
WO: What achievements are you most proud of?
DA: There are a few achievements, though none stands out significantly ahead of the others. However, it is worth noting that we are the first-ever Namibian private company to be RA3 certified by the EU and UK authorities for all types of cargo, including dangerous goods. Additionally, our Regulated Agent Security Program was approved by Namibia Civil Aviation—making us the first company in Namibia to receive such certification. Within six months, the Lufthansa Group, the largest wide-body carrier and the busiest in terms of international carriers, recognized our ground handling and other services as exceptional. As far as I know, no previous ground handling operator has been recognized in this way within such a short period. This recognition is significant because of the high standards that Lufthansa demands. Moreover, it is the responsibility of companies like Paragon to support and complement what the government has done and is doing through institutions like the Namibia Airports Company (NAC). When local private companies like Paragon are able to partner with state institutions, fewer public funds are needed for non-core functions like ground support services. Many people aren’t aware of the capital intensity involved, such as the cost of acquiring Ground Support Equipment (GSE), staff training, IT, safety and security software and hardware, developing standard operating manuals, and achieving local and international certification. Therefore, the state doesn’t have to allocate so much money to NAC to accomplish all of the above. Instead, NAC can focus on its core functions of managing and developing new airport infrastructure to remain competitive in the regional aviation space. Consequently, such funds could be reserved for social safety nets, such as building schools, hospitals, beautiful roads, and providing land tax exemptions for our dear farmers. It’s a consequential process, almost like a chain reaction. Additionally, in terms of airport support activities and footprint, Paragon also operates in other SADC countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia. In these locations, we specifically manage duty-free shops, business lounges, and restaurants. The Airports Company of Zambia has recently invited us to expand our services to a secondary airport in Ndola in the Copperbelt area, adding to our operations at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA).
WO: What are your plans for the future of Paragon? Are there any new services or improvements that travellers can look forward to?
DA: Travelers should continue to expect the best in terms of innovation, making the airport experience more pleasurable and memorable. Our aim, as mentioned before, is to help our nation’s flagship airport facility regain its status as an award-winning hub, as it was in the past. As a Namibian company that has found a home in the aviation sector, we are also exploring ways to support the Namibia Airports Company in developing the necessary infrastructure to comprehensively support the aviation industry. We are considering initiatives such as establishing a fit-for-purpose technical support center, where aircraft can have services like wheel and windscreen replacements, hydraulic oil changes, and minor repairs—similar to what South African technical services offer in South Africa. If all goes according to plan, you will soon see significant infrastructure development in this area. Along with that, we also plan to establish a training facility, as we are required to periodically train our staff to ensure they remain current and up-to-date in providing the high-quality service expected of us. Aviation is a safety-, security-, and on-time performance-driven industry, where there is no room for errors, as such mistakes can lead to the loss of life, money, time, and reputation.
WO: How does Paragon Aviation aim to impact the local community positively, and what initiatives have you put in place to ensure this?
DA:Paragon is 100% Namibian in every sense of the word, including the people who work for it and make a living from its operations. Given our background, the mere existence of Paragon is positively impacting our communities in ways that were once unimaginable. The greatest impact is proving that it is possible! We are upskilling and gaining experience in aviation, transforming our people from employees to aviators. One day, if they choose, they could compete anywhere in the world for aviation-related opportunities, thanks to the foundation Paragon has provided. The standards we adhere to are on par with those anywhere in the world. This, in itself, is development—skill development for Namibians. We empower ourselves so that Namibia never has to rely on foreigners to do what we can do for ourselves. I often imagine Paragon Air providing affordable, safe, and on-time air travel. You never know!
WO: Besides aviation, are there other industries or areas that interest Paragon? For instance, are you considering investments in the oil and gas sector, given its popularity?
DA: We have been in the oil and gas exploration space since around 2010, holding Petroleum Exploration License 37 in the Walvis Bay Basin. Alongside international oil companies (IOC), we have invested well over N$900 million in exploring for oil. In this effort, the Cormorant 1 well was drilled toward the end of 2017, but unfortunately, the results were not as we hoped. However, valuable data was obtained through the drilling process. Paragon is also involved in the fishing industry, with a primary focus on food production and value addition. Unfortunately, we had to suspend these operations due to insufficient quota allocations that no longer support production. Our Tjao Fish canned horse mackerel and meal packs, which were largely distributed to remote areas of Namibia, were highly successful. This was a true local investment initiative with a significant social impact, providing affordable and highly nutritious Omega-3-rich options to our people. In my view, the Ministry of Fisheries made some hasty and ill-conceived decisions in an attempt to distance itself from the so-called Fishrot saga. However, the impact of these actions has caused a seismic shift in the ability of most black fishing rights holders to industrialise. I say this because of the fragmentation in the annual quota awards. The annual quota allocations are so small that it’s almost not worthwhile if one intends to build an industry around them. Paragon, through its wholly owned subsidiary TBWA\Paragon, is a leading player in the marketing and advertising space, managing major local brands like MTC, Tafel Lager, Standard Bank, NMC, NamPower, and GIPF. Paragon Properties, with a reasonably sized portfolio of investment properties and active property development, is currently planning to commence the Shafiishuna housing estate in Okahandja. This project has been delayed by unforeseen factors, but the market should look forward to this exciting and affordable urban living development coming soon. Finally, as you may be aware, Paragon Investment Holdings is the parent company of Paragon Media, which owns the Windhoek Observer newspaper. The Observer was the first publication in Namibia to go fully online and offer a PDF format. Readers should also know that the Windhoek Observer has an archive dating back to 1925, including records from the Suidwester.
WO: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it contributed to Paragon Aviation’s success?
DA:I am no different from any other leader. I am here because Paragon exists, and I do what Paragon requires me to do as part of the team. It would be unfair for me to comment on my leadership as if I were leading alone. I’ll leave it to others to offer opinions on my leadership style. Remember, we are all leaders at different levels and with different responsibilities.
WO: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who look up to your success story?
DA: It’s a difficult question to answer, but if someone wanted to know how we succeeded, I would say that perseverance, smart work, persistence, and consistency have worked well for us. Being honest and reliable is crucial. Invest in building a brand that can outlive you, positioning it in such a way that it becomes larger than its drivers. Avoid a situation where the brand is entirely dependent on the individual. Finally, present your brand well every day; it should always look its best. Studies have shown that more than 50% of your value is in your brand. Once you establish that, the shiny Range Rover and beautiful homes will follow in perpetuity (laughs).
WO: If you were to be stuck in the desert, what are the three items you would like to have with you?
DA: My cell phone for communication, Wi-Fi for connectivity, and water for survival.
