DBN says Thank You

Armstrong Construction, the runner-up in last year’s Development Bank Good Business Awards, surged to the top and toke the honours as the winner this year. It is the most successful large enterprise funded by the Development Bank.
Not to be outdone by size, Fresh n Bake Bakery and Market in Katutura grabbed the award as best small and medium enterprise on the bank’s client list.
The winners and runners-up were announced recently at the DBN Good Business Award ceremony at the Xwama Cultural Village.
The awards for Development Bank clients recognise employment creation, use of local resources, good business administration and governance, local procurement and ownership by previously disadvantaged Namibians.
Certificates of merit were awarded to Namibia Civil Engineering Laboratory and Urban Legend in the SME category and to Ongwediwa Medipark and Proqual Diagnostic Imaging in the Large Enterprise category.
“NDP4 recognises that the private sector is the engine of the economy and an epicentre for job creation. Businesses represented here tonight are some of the key role players. Government believes that there is still a great potential for SMEs to create jobs in Namibia. This is to be achieved not only through access to finance, but also through deliberate growth-at-home strategies and policies,” said the keynote speaker Mr I-Ben Nashandi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Finance.
Speaking on the need for capacity building, Mrs Victoria Namwandi, representing 2012 winner IUM said, “Without capacity, plans are best left on paper for the simple reason that a plan executed without knowledge and skills is almost certain to fail, and that will be an expense, not just in terms of monetary costs, but also in terms of the lost opportunities as manpower and material are diverted from other projects. “In light of this, it is imperative that we establish a nation that is equipped with the necessary skills and know how to be effective,” she said.
Chairman of the Development Bank board, Mrs Elize Angula, said “The enterprises that we finance are those that we believe will be here for years and decades to come. Good governance, sound business administration and meaningful use of local resources secure these enterprises for the future” she said.

Fresh n Bake

SME Category Winner Fresh n Bake, located in Okuryangava, used DBN finance to build a new bakery and mini market. The bakery is a central source of supplies for informal businesses in Okuryangava and surrounding areas, creating the opportunity for members of communities to earn or supplement incomes. Fresh n Bake is a triumph of ambition and personal development on the parts of Moses Joseph and Alina Naidyala.

Runners-up
Namibia Civil Engineering Laboratory provides soil and materials testing services to the civil engineering profession, as well as development of concrete mixes.
Urban Legend, in the centre of Windhoek, is a fashion outlet established by two young entrepreneurs with DBN financing.

Armstrong Construction
Armstrong Construction used DBN finance to purchase a brick machine and tipper trucks. Located outside Rundu, it uses water and sand from the Kavango River to manufacture bricks and concrete products. At last year’s Award ceremony, it was reported that they provide building materials to the surrounding regions and southern Angola. They now also supply building material to Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Runners-up
Ongwediwa MediPark is the first private hospital in the North. Although the professional skills were in place, the hospital struggled to establish managerial systems.
Proqual Diagnostic Imaging used DBN finance to purchase diagnostic technology and make improvements to their Heritage Square facility in central Windhoek.