People wait outside a polling station to vote in Dakar, Senegal, on July 31, 2022. Senegal kicked off legislative elections at 8 a.m. Sunday (local time and GMT) to elect 165 new deputies to the National Assembly for a five-year term across national territory and abroad. Photo: Xinhua

 

Young people display products at the Kasi Vibe Festival in Windhoek, Namibia, on July 31, 2022. With business gradually returning to normalcy amid COVID-19 and inflation threats, Namibian entrepreneurs take advantage of a township expo popularly known as the Kasi Vibe Festival to rejuvenate business and attract new investments. Photo: Xinhua

 
With business gradually returning to normalcy amid COVID-19 and inflation threats, Namibian entrepreneurs take advantage of a township expo popularly known as the Kasi Vibe Festival to rejuvenate business and attract new investments.

The second Kasi Vibe Festival in 2022 runs from July 28 to 31 in the capital Windhoek, and featured exhibitions by local entrepreneurs in art, food, beverages, fashion and corporate companies, among others.

Jay Jay, an emerging entrepreneur, turned to Kasi Vibe to promote his newly established Food Hub business.

"I started making burgers in March this year to supplement my income, and here, I was able to expose my enterprise, especially the burgers, our signature brand, in a different setting," he said Sunday.

The entrepreneurs also hoped to create networks with potential partners.

"More so to source new service suppliers and business to spark innovation and create food that satisfies the taste buds of clients, which will translate to growth," said Jay.

Kasi Vibe Festival further unleashed the business potential of youngsters.

For 13-years old Lea Johannes, exhibiting her candy business exposed her to the tenets of running a business.

"I learned a lot about marketing and attending to clients," she said.

Her 14-year-old partner Charlet Dumeni, said the duo was able to meet people with similar interests.

"Not only that, but generating income and gaining hands-on business management skills," Dumeni said.

Salmi Shiguedha, the Festival's spokesperson, said that the event involved children in efforts to nurture business-oriented minds at their prime and give them a voice and exposure.

For others, the Festival is a significant platform for promoting economic revival following disruptions by COVID-19 and spiraling inflation.

According to Namibia Statistics Agency, the annual inflation rate increased by 6.0 percent compared to 4.1 percent in June 2021, the highest rate recorded since July 2017.

Moreover, taking them out of ordinary business settings inspires innovation and re-think models.

"Coming here helps to lure customers who ordinarily sought to cut spending as many visitors are willing to spend more than normal days. But more so to revamp social media marketing strategy," Johannes said.

In the interim, youngsters said the exposure had inspired them to venture into business.

"The Festival went well for us. We meet different people and see who else may want to get involved in our business. We hope to open our own company in future," Dumeni said.

In its 10th edition, Kasi Vibe has grown into an avenue for promoting entrepreneurship, having attracted an audience of more than 100,000.