By: Annakleta Haikera

Former President Hifikepunye Pohamba said the Nkurenkuru  Expo 2023 provides an opportunity to unlock investment opportunities in the town which is the administrative capital of the Kavango West region.

He said this in a speech delivered on his behalf by his Special Assistant Frans !Gaoseb at the launch of the fourth edition of the Nkurenkuru Expo.

The former President said the event is a befitting opportunity to potential investors to explore, uncover and discover various business opportunities in the town for investment.

Further, the Expo has entertainment slots lined up for the week ranging from a gospel night, Miss Nkurenkuru, and performances by different artists.

Numerous delegates came for the official opening of the Expo, including the Rehoboth Town Mayor Amanda Groenewaldt.

In his speech, Town Mayor Jafet Markus Muti described Nkurenkuru as a fast-growing economy.

“It has a lot of potential in different sectors such as tourism, education, hospitality, agriculture, infrastructure, housing, shopping malls, flats and manufacturing in which potential investors can explore and invest.”

The majority of the town’s 15,000 residents are working age adults who can support businesses to flourish, and its abundant water and fertile soil makes it a preferred destination of horticulture and aquaculture investments.

Meanwhile, Kavango West Regional Council Chairperson Joseph Sikongo Sivaku appealed to the youth in the region to use the Expo as a business opportunity to showcase their products, and sell their product to generate income to boost their businesses.

Sivaku added: “You can only grow in business when you try to imitate and learn from other successful business people. I am also happy to inform the youth that the Central Procurement Board of Namibia will also come and do a representation on the Public Procurement Act to educate entrepreneurs on procurement processes within public institutions.”

He also emphasised the government’s commitment to oversee the development of the region as per its mandate.

“This includes the growth and development of our only local authority which is in Nkurenkuru. We want to support our town on various platforms and means. We will continue to advocate for development of more local authorities in our region to ease the pressure from Nkurenkuru as we all know that our region is highly rural and Nkurenkuru is the only town in the region.”

Robert Mwanachilenga, General Manager of Recon Energy Namibia, the event sponsor, said the Expo is an enabler for economic growth and will stimulate business-to-business opportunities.

A total of 127 exhibitors have registered to showcase their products and services, such as government ministries and agencies, institutions of higher learning, and small and medium entreprises.

The expo will run until 2 July.