Matthias Ngwangwama, Managing Director of the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) has said that the parastatal pumped a total of about N$30 million into the economy in 2022 through major and minor renovations, mostly benefitting micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs).
While he also acknowledged that NWR will continue to renovate some of its resorts, renovations were done at eight of our resorts.
Ngwangwama who was speaking in the company’s latest Annual Report further said: “NWR, through its competitive procurement plan, continues to support local businesses. As a major economic player in a key industry of the Namibian economy, NWR will continue to give preference to local suppliers in the procurement or evaluation of bids for the procurement of goods, works and services reserved in terms of section 72 of the Act as per the recently introduced code of good practice on preferences.”
He went on to state that they have also made significant investments in operations, technology, and human resources, ensuring that they remain a leader in the industry.
“In particular, I am pleased with the implementation of our innovative and cost-effective in-house training and development interventions. To be resilient post COVID-19, our staff needs to be capacitated to fully respond to the challenges of the 21st Century. These challenges include, but are not limited to, effective customer service delivery. As per its Training and Development Policy 2009, NWR commits itself to provide adequate training, development and capacity building opportunities to all its employees and shall continuously endeavour to provide the facilities necessary for this purpose so as to improve employee performance and achieve its objective.
“On the other hand, training and development require substantial financial injection. Considering the historical state of the company’s finances, now worsened by the effects of COVID-19, we managed to conceptualise and implement an NWR context-specific Middle Management Programme (MDP), specifically tailor-made for NWR employees. It is an intervention by NWR’s executive leadership to provide training and capacity building opportunities to its employees, especially those in critical resorts and departments that do not meet the minimum job requirements, in order to improve employee performance and attain organisational objectives,” he said.
According to the Report, NWR has managed to cut its operating loss by 66%, from N$97 million in 2021 to N$33 million in 2022 while at the same time its revenue improved by 74%, from N$167 million in 2021 to N$290 million.
This remarkable effort reflects NWR’s dedication to sustainability and innovation, as well as its on-going efforts to streamline operations and enhance customer experience, the firm says in the Report.
“While NWR is still in a loss-making situation, the company’s management is confident that if the same improvement trend continues, a profit is certain in the near future. NWR remains committed to delivering exceptional service to its guests and exploring new ways of enhancing its service offerings.
“In addition to financial performance, NWR is proud to report that it is in compliance with statutory requirements and governance regulations. The Governance Agreement and board members’ Performance Agreements with the Shareholder, as envisaged by the Public Enterprises Governance Act, 2019 (Act No.1 of 2019) are being finalised, ensuring that NWR continues to uphold the highest standards of corporate responsibility,” NWR said.
The Minister of Finance and Public Enterprise, Iipumbu Shiimi congratulated NWR for once again setting a great example in presenting its audit report on time. “Allow me to thank the NWR team for setting a great example in finalising its audit on time. This is not something that is common in the State Owned Enterprise sector. This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire NWR team and it underscores the company’s commitment to transparency and accountability,” he said.
The Chairman of the NWR Board, Ambassador Haroldt /Urib highlighted NWR’s commitment to ensuring Namibians get an opportunity to experience leisure travel.
“As in previous years, NWR is dedicated to introducing specials and discounts to its domestic market, aimed at encouraging domestic travellers to sign up for, and use, the Namleisure card. The Namleisure card entitles Namibians to a 50% discount on accommodation and is aimed at promoting tourism within the country. The company is pleased to note that new cardholders for the domestic market continue to grow, providing an opportunity for Namibians to visit and know their own country,” he said.