Aussenkehr: It is of critical importance that Namibians work alongside foreign experts as understudies to ensure skills transfer, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said. The president was speaking at Aussenkehr in southern Namibia on Monday after hearing an appeal by the Namibian Grape Growers Association (NGGA) for government to help in addressing certain challenges.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the NGGA had listed the shortage of skills as one of the challenges experienced by companies investing in Namibia. President Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that having understudies is not unique to Namibia; it is a global requirement. She stated that in applications, it is necessary to identify a Namibian understudy and specify the duration of their training period. This initiative aims to eliminate the skills gap faced by both the country and investors over time.

Nandi-Ndaitwah was in Aussenkehr, located on the banks of the Orange River, on a familiarisation visit to the Namibia Grape Company, accompanied by ministers of Youth, Sanet Steenkamp, Finance, Ericah Shafuda, Agriculture, Inge Zaamwani, and Deputy Minister of Mines, Gaudentia Kr¶hne. The companies were encouraged to share their successes and concerns with the ministers, who would then relay the information to the Cabinet.

The president also addressed the need for more land to expand grape production, urging collaboration between landowners and private companies. She encouraged landowners to engage constructively and avoid inflating land prices unnecessarily.