Kasi Vibe soars to new heights

KASI Vibe Festival has grown to become one of Namibia’s most celebrated local events, attracting large audiences in the 11 editions so far.

Since the first event, which took place at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in 2017, the festival has become synonymous with youth entrepreneurship, providing a platform to showcase a wide range of ideas, products and services. It aims to highlight entrepreneurship, innovation, youth empowerment, brand building, and connecting people from various backgrounds.

According to co-founder Salmi Shigwedha, the platform helps participants build their brands and targets exhibitors primarily between the ages of 18 to 35.

“Our mission is to continuously meet and exceed expectations through innovative ideas and the delivery of excellent service. With our network of the best vendors, venue space, and industry partners, and our wealth of experience, the team can create strategies to host the event,” says Shigwedha.

“Our biggest achievement is the Kasi Vibe masterclass, that we will soon be launching. We’ve been working with so many entrepreneurs that we’ve identified a platform for exhibiting locally, but now we’re establishing a platform to help these brands grow beyond just exhibiting and into markets outside of Namibia,” says Shigwedha.

The majority of the exhibitors praised the festival for providing them with opportunities to be in the spotlight.

Afroprint’s Ndapunikwa Fikameni has been an exhibitor since the beginning of Kasi Vibe volume one, and says the platform has magnified and broadened the scope of their operations.

“We started off by selling clothing items and bags, targeting individuals but the festival has enabled us to attract thousands of people and corporates. We were able to connect and network with prominent people such as Namibia’s first lady and company executives who recognised our products for corporate consumption,” says Fikameni.

As a small and medium enterprise (SME), it is critical to not only focus on sales at the festival, but also to connect with people of influence who can help your business grow, she says.

“Afroprint is a product of Kasi Vibe and I am grateful to have such great minds like the Kasi Vibe team in our nation. Afroprint now has a wide range of products, including the popular game, Swift 30, shoelaces, bowties, and our most recent introduction, maternity dresses, which make breastfeeding in public easier.”

Afroprint even now has premises at the Namibia Craft Centre.

Saima Mukwiilongo, owner of Sai’s Kitchen, which specialises in traditional foods, says Kasi Vibe was the first black-owned festival she’d heard about, which is why she wanted to be part of it.

“Getting a chance to be part of Kasi Vibe was the most exciting moment of my business life, given that I have a business in the informal settlement, where most people refuse to come when they see adverts on social media because Havana is labelled as far. This was finally my chance to show people that the drive was worthwhile, to have people taste Sai’s Kitchen’s delicacies.”

She says Sai’s Kitchen was not well known at first but since participating in the festival, she has gained exposure over time.

“Kasi Vibe is also an opportunity to meet young entrepreneurs, network, and be inspired; it’s a big learning platform and an opportunity to make more money for your business,” Mukwiilongo says.

Sai’s Kitchen began as a one-woman operation and has since expanded to 11 employees, delivery services, and an Ausspannplatz branch at King’s Lounge.

“As an unemployed graduate, I’ve always wanted to create a job for myself and the next person, and I’m slowly doing so…”

Pinehas Shikulo, aka Zulu Boy, has been displaying his vintage collection at the Kasi Vibe since its inception, and it was at the festival that he founded Gweri Socks. The platform has hugely contributed to enticing the public to buy men’s vintage attire.

“The products were extremely successful as a result of Kasi Vibe,” says Zulu Boy.

Kasi Vibe volume 12 will be held at the Sam Nujoma Stadium from 30 March to 2 April, and will feature over 70 exhibitors showcasing fashion, art, music, food, and drinks.