Exhibitions essential in cultivating the economy

Meet Namforce at the Windhoek Show
Martin Shaanika
The pandemic put much on hold and in many cases, showed us that platforms to showcase products and services play a significant role in terms of brand awareness and increasing service delivery.
Participating in showcasing efforts enables start-ups and established corporations to develop and thrive by showcasing their goods and services to a large audience who may not typically have the time to explore what organisations have on offer.
At events like the Windhoek Agricultural Show, we can demonstrate what we do and how it will help consumers.
Namibia boasts a population of under 3 million and thus it is critical to support initiatives that strive to boost the economy. Referring to the pandemic again, the isolation created a need, now than ever before, to network and appreciate platforms that were put on hold due to social distancing and the severity of the virus.
And now we can again connect with businesses and consumers and develop stronger collaborations which we missed out on in the past two years. Our businesses again have the opportunity to use networking events to gain a new perspective and to allow that personal touch to further elevate customer relations.
As much as digital platforms boomed during lockdown, from an African point of view, personal interaction remains impactful. When networking we are able to once more engage from a “peoples’ point of view” with more compassion and understanding. In our industry, especially the insurance sector, one-on-one interaction is celebrated before committing financially while offering insightful information to further drive the financial literacy narrative.
The value of similar sectors rubbing shoulders and engaging not only in serious discussions but through stakeholder networking, creates another side to this co-operation and collaboration.
From a consumer point of view, there is no better space than to shop under one roof and at one’s own pace. It is for this reason that Namforce decided to use the face-to-face consultations that this public platform creates. This exhibition space saves people time and money by giving them access to a variety of services and goods at one location.
Customers are more engaged since the platform gives them the opportunity to quickly learn about the goods and services available and to enquire and be given information on their choice of options.
It was evident how dependent Namibia was in terms of import and export during lockdown and therefore building a culture of buying and purchasing more Namibian-owned products will help us support our own service delivery. This may take time as we are still recovering from setbacks, but venues that call for Namibian companies to sell and trade under one roof should be embraced even more than before.
It is for this reason that Namforce decided to take hands with other corporates/exhibitors to be at this year’s Windhoek Agricultural Show, to sensitize the public about financial literacy and the available vehicles that can help especially in uncertain times. Our qualified team will walk show attendees through the importance of saving to secure a comfortable future with products that have been customized to assist them.
As a Namibian-owned life insurance company, we will continue to fulfil our mandate to educate Namibians and lend a helping hand to reduce financial distress. We trust that all corporates and attendees will come in numbers this year to fully understand the significance of our ever-growing industry through support, collaboration and investment back into our own.
*Martin Shaanika is the Managing Director of Namforce.