The Namibia Startup Ecosystem is an emerging innovation hub ranked 91 globally and has shown a steady drive since 2021. Namibia also ranks at number 2 for startups in Southern Africa.
Namibia is ideal for locating Social & Leisure, eCommerce & Retail and Hardware & IoT startups. Below are some startup-wise guys that make up Namibia’s Startup Ecosystem.
Kumwe Cj Dumeni – The Chief Executive Officer of Chommie Bites
Cj Dumeni is a 28-year-old Namibian-born tech entrepreneur. After completing high school, Cj Dumeni moved to Cape Town, South Africa, to obtain a BA in Marketing Communication at one of the best marketing schools on the continent. He was selected from 25,000 students as a top 24 team worldwide for a Global Product Development & Marketing Competition – L’Oreal BrandStorm. During this time, the young entrepreneur pitched innovative grooming products to L’Oréal Chief Executives in Paris and claimed 1st Place in Africa. After winning in Paris, Cj Dumeni and his co-founders conceptualized Chommie.co.
In November 2019, Cj Dumeni launched Namibia’s First Food Ordering Application – Chommie Bites. Chommie Bites is a crowd-shipping African ECommerce Company and Namibia’s Largest Online Food Court. The platform allows users to order food for delivery from some of the best kitchens in the country. It helps consumers find the best deals on thousands of meals, drinks and combos. The customer can order food from a restaurant and have it delivered. Thousands of meals are available.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Chommie Bites helped Windhoek restaurants stay open and pay their rent and staff by offering their food online for delivery. The Namibian Newspaper quoted it as “One of the Covid-19 heroes”.
David Akinin – The Founder and CEO of Jabu
He is originally from Venezuela but has lived in Namibia for over 9 years.
During the COVID lockdown in 2020, many world economies experienced shortages of food products, medical materials and even toilet paper.
In Namibia, the pandemic also affected retail shops. The government had locked down the country without making adequate plans to support its people. As a result, taxis didn’t run, and shop owners couldn’t transport their goods. Amid the emergency, it soon became apparent that Namibia had a broken supply chain.
David Akinin discovered this loophole, loaded his truck with food and essential supplies, and drove around, selling them to people—a mobile retail shop. But it wasn’t enough; informal shops needed to reopen.
Akinin’s idea to provide food and essentials to people during the COVID lockdown gave birth to a data-driven e-commerce startup —Jabu. Jabu was established in mid-2020 as part of an effort to improve Namibia’s inefficient and nearly non-existent supply chain and distribution channels. It helps small retailers with sourcing products and inventory management. It has since grown into Southern Africa’s fastest-growing e-commerce platform for small retailers, connecting more than 6,000 retailers to local and multinational suppliers such as Namibia Breweries Limited, ABInBev, Bokomo, Coca-Cola, and Namibmills, as well as digitizing orders, payments, and logistics.
Melkisedek-Shivute Ausiku – The Owner/Founder of LEFA Transportation Services (Pty) Ltd
When Melkisedek-Shivute Ausiku was retrenched from his previous job as an electrical engineer four years ago, the then 27-year-old decided that rather than become the devil’s workshop, he would establish a transportation company. So, with a dream, a small team and a piteous budget, Ausiku created LEFA.
LEFA is an ambitious startup operating in Windhoek, Namibia. The purpose of this ride-hailing app is to provide high-quality services while changing the whole transportation system in the country via a transportation app. Passengers must register by entering a valid cell phone number and email address. It allows commuters to request a shuttle by simply entering the location they would like to be taken to.
With stable, fast internet available almost everywhere, LEFA operates in Windhoek, Hosea Kutako International Airport, safari lodges and game farms surrounding Windhoek. It provides convenient cash and cashless payment options to passengers. It also allows passengers to view a driver’s information and vehicle details before they ride and track their requested driver in real time once the ride has been confirmed.
Chris Botha – The Co-founder and CEO, PayToday
Why pay cash when you can transact with your phone? That is what Chris Botha is all about. Botha is a hardworking, passionate entrepreneur who has always been fascinated by the endless possibilities of the internet. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, and before starting PayToday, he spent 7 years living in Luxembourg, where his last position was a Senior Manager in the Audit department at Deloitte.
PayToday, in partnership with Nedbank Namibia, is a next-generation app that turns financial transactions into social interactions. Namibia’s leading mobile payment solution has the vision to become a bank-agnostic Super App “one-stop-shop”; pay friends, get paid, shop, buy airtime and electricity, pay for parking and so much more.
It’s safe, simple and social. Forget cash, cards and EFTs. Just use your phone.
