Allexer Namundjebo
The ‘Your Kitchen Project’ has a market entry planned in the coming months as it wraps up Phase One of its operations.
The project, supported by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), aims to provide nutritious meals for workers and expand services to state institutions such as government school hostels, prisons, and hospitals.
The N$20 million project, funded by Italian directors, was inaugurated in September 2023.
It is the first of its kind in Namibia to use technologies and methods common in Europe and the United States.
Speaking during a familiarisation tour at the facility on Wednesday, Alice Rigoldi, the project’s managing partner, said the initiative focuses on hospitality services.
“We are simplifying logistics and elevating meal quality across the country in remote and challenging locations,” she said.
Rigoldi said Your Kitchen supports small-scale suppliers in Windhoek and sources raw materials from across the country.
“One of our fruit and vegetable vendors exclusively offers Namibia-grown fresh produce from various regions, and all our meat is supplied by local producers,” she said.
Since its launch, the project has worked with local hospitality schools to train 11 interns. Seven of them are now permanently employed.
“One of our interns now serves as our assistant to the production manager,” Rigoldi said.
The project currently employs 14 staff members and plans to grow its workforce. It will open a new base in Arandis to cater to the mining industry.
Catherine Shipushu, NIPDB Marketing, Communications and Branding Manager, said NIPDB played a key role during the setup.
“The NIPDB connected Your Kitchen to a database of service providers in the construction industry, through which they identified an outstanding company that works on their production plant,” she said.
Shipushu said the project has created jobs and provided learning opportunities for Namibians.
“There is knowledge that Namibians are gaining,” she said.
