Africa-Press – Namibia. VOCATIONAL training is crucial to enable the youth to stand on their own and help build the country’s economy.
This was said last week during an interview with Onesmus Ekandjo, the owner of Sheke Construction and Joinery, at his office at the Bokamoso Entrepreneurial Centre in Katutura.
“I have a diploma in construction and joinery and this enabled me to get a job at a construction company where I worked for 15 years before starting my own business,” he said. Over the years Ekandjo gained the necessary experience and saved enough money to venture out on his own.
“I never borrowed money to fund my business activities,” said Ekandjo, who has four employees and has been in business since 2014. He has, however, received assistance from the trade ministry, which donated equipment under a government scheme to help budding entrepreneurs.
“I still have that equipment up to now,” Ekandjo said. His company specialises in the renovation of residential properties, as well as designing and fitting kitchen cupboards, tiles and ceilings, he said.
“No job is too big or too small for us. Our main customers are individual home owners in and outside of Windhoek who want cabinet fittings and renovations done.”
Ekandjo said the Covid-19 pandemic had a severe negative effect on the construction sector, which was already reeling from the economic downturn in Namibia.
As the government had not declared the sector an essential service during the lockdown, construction workers felt the full impact of restrictions because they could not work.
“There were no activities. Even this complex was closed and we could not come here. We managed to get a few jobs but they were few and far between. The curfew and lockdown worsened the situation as we could not travel out of town or work till late,” he said.
As an artisan, Ekandjo trains his workers to ensure they maintain a good standard of workmanship. He said because he believes training is essential, he plans to establish a facility to train young people just joining the industry.
He advised young people to get the necessary skills training and start their own businesses early, to create work for other Namibians. “Vocational training is very important because it gives the youth a foundation for skills that would make them marketable,” he said, adding that there are no shortcuts to success, but hard work and patience are key.
On why some entrepreneurs were abandoning stalls at the Bokamoso complex when one of the challenges small businesses face is a lack of work space, Ekandjo said the complex does not have anything that attracts people, despite being situated next to a very busy main road leading to many parts of Katutura.
“If we had something like a post office or bank here, people visiting these institutions would see what activities are taking place at the complex.”
He disagreed with some entrepreneurs who claimed the rent at the complex was too high. “It’s affordable compared to other complexes, particularly those belonging to private individuals or companies.”
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