Choppies opens shop at Ongwediva

NAMIBIA is ideal for foreign businesses, said the chairperson of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s northern branch Tomas Iindji at the recent opening of Choppies at Ongwediva.

Choppies is a Botswana-based multinational grocery retailer with stores in eight African countries.

Apart from Botswana and now Namibia, Choppies has outlets in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Iindji thanked the Choppies board for deciding to open in Namibia as it creates employment for Namibians.

He asked the management to ensure that their shop not only sells products from outside the country, but also sells locally- produced goods.

Oshana governor Clemens Kashuupulwa, who officially opened the store, said the investment was in line with government’s economic growth, job creation and knowledge sharing plans.

He urged Choppies management to foster a good relationship with employees, and that the employees should work hard to ensure good service delivery.

“It is not easy to secure employment in Namibia, and those who have jobs should work hard and efficiently. It does not matter if the salary is not what you want, you at least have the little you get,” the governor said.

He added that business between Namibia and Botswana is going well, and referred to many Namibians being able to afford second-hand vehicles coming through Botswana, known as ‘Dankie Botswanas’. He also pointed out that many of the affordable vehicles from Botswana were being used as taxis in Namibia.

Head of Choppies Namibia, Vysakk Thekkepatt, said apart from three stores that have already been opened at Omuthiya, Ondangwa and now Ongwediva, Choppies plans to open 10 more stores across the country this year.

The already operating outlets collectively employ 205 Namibians, with the store at Ongwediva employing 75 locals. Thekkepatt said it cost N$16 million to set up the Choppies store at Ongwediva.