Win-win partnership for informal sector

In a partnership deal, Paratus Namibia has now branded three shops in informal areas in Windhoek where its Mobile LTE services are advertised and sold.

The stores are independently owned and managed by local shop owners, while the Paratus branding and marketing is facilitated by Namots. Namots is a marketing company that has created a business solution for the informal sector with professionally managed retail outlets where the branding has impact and where people can shop conveniently near their homes.

MD of Paratus Namibia, Andrew Hall, is excited about the initiative: “This is just the beginning because we plan to open more shops soon. With approximately 1.8 million of Namibia’s total population believed to be ‘untapped’, this presents an enormous opportunity for the Paratus brand. This is a workable and fully tested mechanism that not only reaches but also educates and provides services to an untapped market. Through this ideal solution, we are also giving back to those communities at the same time and that is what makes this partnership a win-win for everyone.”



Extending reach

Namots was established by Mark Colley, who identified the opportunity for brands and businesses to reach the informal sector. “Our outlets are strategically located in the heart of the community; they are an effective and affordable billboard for our customers and they are enormously successful. The fact that we train people in the community to run the stores and pay rentals to community owners of the sites is important because this also contributes to promoting brand loyalty while providing critically needed jobs. We manage and monitor the outlet’s transactions and report to our clients on a monthly basis.”

Hall adds: “What we like about this partnership is that we will stand out in the communities. Our brand will have a tremendous impact as we serve new communities with the Paratus product range. This initiative aligns with the Paratus vision to transform Africa through exceptional digital infrastructure and customer service.

“We will be on the ground where it matters giving communities the services they need. Now that we have landed the Equiano subsea cable in Swakopmund, there will be 20 times more internet capacity available and this means there will be more options for more people to be connected. The wins around this just keep coming.”