Young food scientist sells signature water

Jacob Hamutenya also known as “omulaule” is a man with a vision. The 24-year old entrepreneur is not only a trained Project Manager, Food Scientist as well as an integrated Management System SHEQ auditor; he is also an upcoming business man. Armed with an Honours degree in Agriculture specialising in Food Science and Technology which he acquired at UNAM’s Neudamm campus, Jacob decided to register his own close corporation, Omulaule Investments in 2010. The CC focuses on corporate promotional items like embroidered T-shirts, corporate clothing, and personalised labelled mineral water.
A former SRC President of UNAM – Neudamm, Jacob was previously employed by Olthaver and List Group of Companies as a Quality Control Laboratory Technician at Namibia Dairies from 2010 until February 2012 and is currently pursuing his MBA in Natural Resources Management at the UNAM Business School.
“While I was still an undergraduate student at UNAM, I realised there are actually a lot of business opportunities” he said.
“For the kind of business model we have, no significant investment in capital was necessary. Perhaps I am lucky, I established this company when I was working, so I used a significant part of my salary then,” he said. But he pointed out that he and his associates have big future plans for which they will seek investment capital. Although Jacob is the sole owner, four other stakeholders, Jimmy Namutenya, Hanhapo Oletu, Pendapala Kakololo,and Lazarus Kelola are involved in the small business and render their services when ever possible.
Together with its critical strategic partners, Shamale Investments, GrandMasters Printing, Getgraphics CC, Decapolis Investments, Talamo Foods and Cordan Beverages, Omulaule Investments mainly supplies personalised mineral and sparkling water for business events, weddings, funerals, year-end functions and also to bars, restaurants and hotels. The business also provides water for political rallies and gathering and according to Jacob, the Swapo Youth League and UNAM have been some of their biggest clients for most of their gala dinners, braais and social gatherings during 2012.
With August considered to be a wedding month especially in the North, Omulaule Investments is currently searching for clients that would like to have personalised water bottles, number plates and T-shirts supplied at their wedding celebrations. Since its inception, Omulaule Investments has done embroideries and printing of official attires for the entire UNAM SRC Council for all of the university’s 10 campuses across the country.
Other significant projects the business has been involved with during this year include providing branded water for the Founding Father’s Birthday and the launch of ‘The 12 May Movement’ at the coast in May. “We also supplied water for the Okahandja Expo and will also be the official supplier of branded water during UNAM’s cultural festival scheduled for early September and we are currently printings T-shirts for the Red Cross Society,” Jacob added.
Faced with numerous challenges which include inconsistency, lack of business projects and support from local institutions, the business is further hampered by clients who according to Jacob, compromise the operating principles of the business by either offering to pay too little or never at all for the services. “There are a lot of other well established competitors in the industry who have been around for long, hence they find it easier to play around with their prices and lure clients to them,” stressed Jacob.