WALVIS BAY, Namibia, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Namibian enterprises have leveraged the Erongo Business and Tourism Expo, held at the Walvis Bay Municipality Civic Center, to drive business growth and innovation.
Selma Nelago, a 39-year-old traditional products trader, said that since her second participation in the expo, optimism for enterprise growth and expansion has significantly increased.
When she started her business a few years ago, she struggled to find platforms to sell her products. "I would market on WhatsApp and other social media, but that was not enough. There is no real human contact. I then tried the expo," she said Saturday evening.
The 2025 Erongo Business and Tourism Expo was the 17th edition of the event, held annually in Namibia's coastal town of Walvis Bay, where more than 160 exhibitors, including corporate entities, businesses, and players from the hospitality, tourism, and motor industries, showcased their products and services.
Traditional and cultural items such as crafts and food were also prominently featured at the expo.
For Nelago, selling at the expo meant not only showcasing culture and tradition but also enhancing business acumen and trade skills.
For her, the expo also offered an opportunity to explore potential business partnerships, particularly with tourism companies and those in the product processing and value-addition sector.
"To build new bridges for business cooperation amid limited platforms," she said.
Nelago was not the only one. For Nestor Shivute, a tourist operator in Namibia, participation in the expo was also about scouting business resilience demonstrated by players in the tourism and hospitality industry, a trend supported by the recovery of the southern African nation's tourism sector after the pandemic.
"The significant growth also meant companies are not only able to generate income but also maximize on platforms such as the expos to rethink strategies through public engagement," said Shivute.
Rita Jod, marketing officer for the Erongo Business and Tourism Expo, said the expo aimed to create a platform connecting businesses, investors, and the community, with the organizers supporting 20 small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs through free exhibition stalls.
"We are promoting trade, tourism, and regional growth," Jod said in a follow-up interview on Sunday.
According to Natalia Goagoses, governor of the Erongo Region, the 2025 Erongo Business and Tourism Expo, held from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 under the theme "Driving Innovation and Advancing Namibia's Blue Economy and Employment Creation Frontiers," actively supported the fisheries sector and regional development. ■