Managing Director (Namib Sun Hotels)

Could you please tell us about the history of Namib Sun Hotels for the last years?

Namib Sun Hotels is a division of W.U.M. Properties Ltd., which is one the group companies of Ohlthaver & List (O&L). Ohlthaver & List is one of the biggest corporate in Namibia and it employs over 4.000 employees. The O&L Group of companies provides wide variety commodities throughout Namibia and also export some of it. To mention some of them, it is in meat, fish, milk, hotel and leisure, retail, beer, soft drinks, farming and properties production.

Namib Sun Hotels consist of seven different hotels and lodges. Thuringerhof Hotel is located in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Equipped with 43 rooms, Thuringerhof Hotel is a confortable city hotel in the centre of Windhoek and is an ideal base to operate from for business appointments.
Midgard Lodge is situated an hour and a half drive from Windhoek and is located a huge piece of land with unspoiled natural splendour. Also equipped with 45 rooms.
Moving to the northern region of Namibian, Mokuti Lodge with 106 rooms is located is just outside the Von Lidequist gate of the Estosha National Park.Ghuab Guest Farm is located in the Otavi Mountains and was built as a mission station in 1895. Ghaub is transformed in a 10 room lodge
In the Eastern Caprivi, Zambezi lodge is located in Katima Mulilo and offers 26 air conditioned rooms. Chobe Kingsden Lodge is located in the east Caprivi on the banks of the Chobe river, which forms the border of 4 countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia).
Strand Hotel is located in Swakopmund, town in the western region of Namibian. Strand hotel offers 23 sea-view and 22 garden facing rooms in a prime location overlooking a romantic palm-lined beachfront.

Could you tell about some of the Group’s key figures from the last 3 years. (Number of rooms, employees, invested capital, guests, nationality, etc)?

Seven Hotels, We have 285 rooms available to sell. The profile is 60% international tourist (Germany and Switzerland is 47%, France 5%, Italy 4%, UK 3%). The remaining 40% are from Africa (Namibia 27%, SA 8%, rest of Africa 5%). The company employs 230 employees.

What are your expectations in terms of occupancy and revenue?

Our expectation is to achieve an overall group occupancy of 75%.

Who are your main customers and who are you targeting at?

Our target market are abroad and our focus is to maintain the main contributors. We obviously aiming to grow the international market and one of the emerging markets for us are the UK. Regional focus in all SADC countries such as SA, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe do receive attention.

The Namib Sun Hotel has some well-established competition here in Namibia. What are the competitive advantages you have in front of those hotels?

With regard to business in Namibia, there is obviusly local competition. In some sense we are contributing into each other because we all sell Namibia as one package.The advantage that Namib Sun Hotels has got is that we have got strategicly good located establishments.

Your personal experiences are also of interest to us. Could you tell us about your career up to your promotion to Managing Director of Namib Sun Hotels as well as your greatest accomplishment during your time as Leader?

My career commenced in the banking industry after completing my B Degree (Hons) in Human Resources and Accounting. From the banking industry, which was primarily administration focussed, I moved into the Mining industry in the Financial discipline. I than had a career change still in the Mining industry to the Human Discipline, the field which further consolidated at Namibia Breweries Ltd, one of the O&L group companies. I was than appointed by the Chairman to lead the Hotel Division in the O&L Group, a position I currently occupy for a year and a half.

The Tourism industry is a challenge as it is growing fast and Namib Sun Hotels is one the suppliers of the services to satisfy this growth. My biggest accomplishment was and still is the transformation of the group into an effective customer oriented and sustainable entity.

We’re here in the Republic of Namibia to promote the investment opportunities of the country. What would your final message to our readers concerning these opportunities?

Namibia certainly lent it self for great investment opportunities especially in a fast growing industry like Tourism.