All things Odile

She is a model, actress and a radio presenter amongst many other roles and jobs. Her recent job involves her travelling around Namibia and enjoying the country's beauty. Odile the explorerThe partnership with Gondwana Collection Namibia (GCN), one of Namibia's main attractions that offers accommodation facilities to suit every taste and budget, started at the beginning of the year. Gertze says when one has lived in a place too long, everything starts looking familiar and slowly one forgets to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. She says she had forgotten the scenery that Namibia had to offer and the new job was a reality check. So far, Gertze has been to five of the lodges of GCN and she has enjoyed herself immensely. “Gondwana forced me to look at the country through my work. Before this I would give you the generic beauty pageant answers on what Namibia is but after my visits to the five spots thus far, my perception on everything has changed. Gondwana has really made me become an ambassador of Namibia through educating me about her and what she has to offer. One thing I can tell you is that she (Namibia) likes to show off,” she said. Gertze urges locals to start touring and travelling Namibia first before going out of the country for holiday destinations. She has thus far visited the north, south and coastal lodgings and she urges the youth to be ambassadors of their country by getting to know their country before they go out. GCN has packages and loyalty cards that allows them to cater for everyone's pocket. “One of my favourite trips was to the south of Namibia to the Klein Aus Vista, where the wild horses roam freely. It was incredibly therapeutic because they are tame as much as they are wild. They have the best romantic lodgings so it's definitely worthwhile. All the information is on their website and they are always ready to assist when needed,” she said. The entertainment industry Gertze, apart from modelling is also a film and theatre actress and has been featured in movies such as Katutura and the latest, Salute. She scooped the Best Female Actress last year at the Namibia Theatre and Film Awards and scooped a nomination at the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards. She has been nominated this year in the category Favourite Actress of the Year. Gertze says the industry is growing and people need to work together to make it work. She strongly believes that Namibian film quality can grow just like Nollyhood as the talent and confidence is there. “We need to be less critical and more open to ideas because the one thing that lacks from my experience when it's a Namibian audience, they lack constructive criticism. They are so quick to break us down instead of saying well done but you could improve here. We should not wait for anyone to give us the resources. We must go get it,” she said.The divorce Divorce is more than physically separating yourself from the person you thought you would share your entire life with. Gertze says she and her ex-husband wanted to be on paths that were not leading them together. She says marriage requires both partners to work and carry the load as a team and when one person slacks the foundation weakens. She says she didn't want her five-year marriage to came to an end but it was important for her to let go. “When this happens it starts feeling like you are giving your all without getting anything in return. So it was something similar to that. I have nothing mean to say about him, I married him for a reason and he is a good guy. Unfortunately some things don't work out and sometimes they come to an end,” she says.Gertze says she doesn't know if she will get married anytime soon but she would definitely get married again should she find a right partner whom in her words is kind, humble, successful and an is an alpha male.“My marriage taught me not to lose my own voice and identity. Sometimes we learn by burning our fingers. I do wish my ex nothing but the best life,” she said.Thirty and thriving Just like everyone else, celebrities age too. Gertze recently turned the big three-o and as much as she doesn't look any year older than 20, the star says she has a lot to check off her bucket list including many projects, and now will be the best time. Although she is not where she thought she would be at 30, the actress says she is grateful for her fan base and family for allowing her to be herself. “As a 30 year old divorcee, my first goal is to find Odile again. Working in this industry can also be tough and one of my many goals are to learn how to dim the many negative voices and focus on listening to the important ones,” she concluded.June Shimuoshili

All things Odile

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-14

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All things Odile

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-14

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