If we want to make more jobs, we have to start buying our own
“We feel that every dollar that we can keep in Namibia, must be kept here. We want our manufacturers and producers to remain active and expand. Indeed, this also applies to service providers across the spectrum of our economy,” said Team Namibia’s account director, Bärbel Kirchner about the need to keep more Namibian capital within the local market.
Recent trade statistics released by the Namibia Statistics Agency indicated an unexpected, substantial jump in the trade deficit for the first quarter, to N$8.3 billion. “[This] highlights the importance of supporting local manufacturers, producers and service providers,” said Kirchner.
Aligned with Namibia’s development plans, in particular with the Growth at Home strategy, Team Namibia said it is working hard to realise the vision that sees local products and services becoming part of everyday life for every Namibian. “We make every effort to increase the level of awareness on how important it is to support our own, particularly in the current economic times,” she elaborated.
Team Namibia supports the marketing of local products with a vivid trade mark on all such products. It is also used in the stationery of local service companies that are part of the member-based organisation. Team Namibia promotes the retention of local value addition, local procurement, and profit, ultimately to increase local employment. With their trade-marked logo, the organisation guarantees that a product or service is local and that it conforms to industry standards.
“With a bigger demand for local products and services, we are creating employment. The more we buy local, the more we can produce and supply, and by that bring down costs and eventually increasingly capacitate our own. The more we buy and procure local, the less we need to import, the more of our money stays in circulation in Namibia,” said Kirchner.
“It is our mission that our consumers and buyers will ask for Team Namibia products and services. Team Namibia will become THE BRAND that everyone wants to be associated with with the result to secure jobs and long-term economic sustainability.”
“What if we were to change the consciousness at every level of society – the shopper that buys the groceries, the corporate buyer that buys from local suppliers and the government that procures from local producers and service providers,” she concluded.
