SMEs want to supply hospitality trade

Namibia Tourism Expo organizer, Democratic Media Holdings (DMH) and local social entrepreneurship firm, SMEs Compete, have joined forces to place the spotlight on Namibia’s small and medium enterprise (SME) sector at this year’s edition of the exposition.
The four-day event that showcases Namibia as a premier tourism destination kicks-off on Wednesday 29 May at the Windhoek Showgrounds and ends on Saturday 01 June.
“Resulting from our presence at the tourism expo over the past six years we know that hotels, lodges and tour operators around the country are willing to outsource or sub-contract non-core activities to SMEs,” said Danny Meyer the co-founder and a director of SMEs Compete.
“Frequently they don’t know how to reach the owners of small enterprises or make a connection and this is where we come in,” he said.
SMEs Compete’s aim is to introduce established tourism and hospitality sector players, to potential SME suppliers. In this way, SMEs Compete is instrumental in helping companies in the hospitality and tourism sector to identify potential SME business partners with whom they can enter into supply arrangements for goods and services.
“This is why it is so important for us to be present at the tourism expo. It provides a perfect opportunity to facilitate introductions and to offer a business matchmaking service,” added Meyer.
In addition to running an SME sector information and introductory service at the expo, four small firms operating in the tourism sector as well as two visual artists have been allocated space on SMEs Compete’s stand.
A private sector initiative that compliments enterprise and entrepreneurial development support programmes run by government ministries and tertiary educational institutions, SMEs Compete was founded seven years ago. The firm operates four offices around the country in Windhoek, Lüderitz, Ongwediva and Walvis Bay.
Over the past seven years, SMEs Compete has participated in the Namibia Tourism Expo.