Namibia’s only poly propylene woven bag factory sets trend
Francis Lunga holding a finished bag (Photograph by Hilma Hashange)
Guinas Investments together with other partners and funding from the Development Bank of Namibia set up Quality Bag Manufacturers. Its current directors are Mr. Francis Lunga and Mrs. Mwetulamba Shingenge-Haipinge. “Due to the high demand for poly propylene woven bags, companies used to import these bags from South Africa so that is where the idea of coming up with our own poly propylene factory came from,” said Francis Lunga.
The new factory building, situated along the Ondangwa main road, was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba in July 2011 and according to Lunga, the factory is strategically located in the north in order for the company to service both the Namibian market as well as other regional markets.
Because of the high level of skilled labour needed to produce the poly propylene bags, the factory trained its 46 employees for over a year to gain the appropriate skills as the process of making the bags is complex. The factory imports its raw materials from Sasol in South Africa and supplies poly woven bags to different sectors including milling, fisheries, agriculture, mining and salt industries.
Besides weaving, the factory also prints customer logos on the bags. Small and established millers that make use of Quality Bag Manufacturers services include Bokomo, Namib Mills, Etunda, Makalani Maize Mills, Omhalanga, Goal Maize, Kavango Mills as well as government ministries and irrigation schemes. The bags come in different sizes, 5 kg, 10 kg, 12.5 kg, 20 kg, 25 kg, 50 kg and even 90 kg.
The factory’s vision is to be the leading and preferred supplier of flexible packaging materials to the nation and although the factory currently has one branch in Ondangwa, Lunga hopes that in future Quality Bag Manufacturers will soon expand to other parts of the country.
