Lessons learnt boost NWR
Tweaks to its strategy in how to engage fruitfully with private partners, based on lessons learned, has allowed Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) to cope without government support since 2014.
In a statement released this week, the state-owned enterprise noted that although it is dealing with challenges, the institution “is doing well and is operationally self-sustaining in that it has not received or even sought any budget support from the government in the past four years”.
The organisation added that one of its main challenges is the government guaranteed loan that was taken to finance the turnaround strategy launched in 2006.
The statement noted that to date, NWR has made all the payments required for the government loan and “looks forward to paying it off along with clearing its historical liabilities at the Receiver of Revenue dating from its establishment in 1998”.
Nevertheless, partnerships through joint ventures have proved critical to bring expertise, investment capital and different management models.
Mufaro Njabulo Nesongano, NWR spokesperson noted that these strategies “can result in NWR becoming financially sustainable”.
Following the turnaround strategy in 2006, which called for the outsourcing of certain NWR facilities to the private sector, a number of public-private partnerships (PPP) were entered into for the management of locations such as Mile 14, Reho Spa Resort and other areas.
NWR's Talita Horn, chief financial officer, in the statement singled out Sun Karros as the partnership that has “consistently been our best performing partner”.
Sun Karros manages Windpomp 14 and Daan Viljoen, and Horn said although the “global headwinds that affected our economy did not spare Daan Viljoen, especially on the conferencing side, but they are still going strong.”
A second phase of the Sun Karros partnership for the holiday estate development was launched recently, which is based on a new partnership model. NWR's Nesongano noted that NWR has “learnt from our mistakes and are now implementing the best practices in the marketplace. That is why we moved away from the arms-lengthy PPP arrangements which saw us losing control and unable to shape events when our partners underperformed.”
He noted that these agreement strategies will strengthen NWR's cash flow positions “significantly as well as improve our balance sheet”.
The second phase of the Sun Karros tender is the establishment of a first-in-class holiday eco estate, consisting of a luxury tented camp at the Sesriem campsite in southern Namibia. NWR chief officer of strategy and products Matthias Ngwangwama explained further that over the past years NWR has decided to move away from “accepting unsolicited business proposals and issued an invitation of Expression of Interest (Eol) in September last year.
Another one is due to be issued this September.
He said NWR is encouraging the participation of local communities, women and young Namibians to take part.
JANA-MARI SMITH
In a statement released this week, the state-owned enterprise noted that although it is dealing with challenges, the institution “is doing well and is operationally self-sustaining in that it has not received or even sought any budget support from the government in the past four years”.
The organisation added that one of its main challenges is the government guaranteed loan that was taken to finance the turnaround strategy launched in 2006.
The statement noted that to date, NWR has made all the payments required for the government loan and “looks forward to paying it off along with clearing its historical liabilities at the Receiver of Revenue dating from its establishment in 1998”.
Nevertheless, partnerships through joint ventures have proved critical to bring expertise, investment capital and different management models.
Mufaro Njabulo Nesongano, NWR spokesperson noted that these strategies “can result in NWR becoming financially sustainable”.
Following the turnaround strategy in 2006, which called for the outsourcing of certain NWR facilities to the private sector, a number of public-private partnerships (PPP) were entered into for the management of locations such as Mile 14, Reho Spa Resort and other areas.
NWR's Talita Horn, chief financial officer, in the statement singled out Sun Karros as the partnership that has “consistently been our best performing partner”.
Sun Karros manages Windpomp 14 and Daan Viljoen, and Horn said although the “global headwinds that affected our economy did not spare Daan Viljoen, especially on the conferencing side, but they are still going strong.”
A second phase of the Sun Karros partnership for the holiday estate development was launched recently, which is based on a new partnership model. NWR's Nesongano noted that NWR has “learnt from our mistakes and are now implementing the best practices in the marketplace. That is why we moved away from the arms-lengthy PPP arrangements which saw us losing control and unable to shape events when our partners underperformed.”
He noted that these agreement strategies will strengthen NWR's cash flow positions “significantly as well as improve our balance sheet”.
The second phase of the Sun Karros tender is the establishment of a first-in-class holiday eco estate, consisting of a luxury tented camp at the Sesriem campsite in southern Namibia. NWR chief officer of strategy and products Matthias Ngwangwama explained further that over the past years NWR has decided to move away from “accepting unsolicited business proposals and issued an invitation of Expression of Interest (Eol) in September last year.
Another one is due to be issued this September.
He said NWR is encouraging the participation of local communities, women and young Namibians to take part.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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