Impact Tank: Inspiring a culture of innovation

Elzine Mushambi was born in Windhoek and spent a few years in the United Kingdom as a child. Exuding pride in her heritage, she said she wants to promote Namibia and its people at every opportunity.

In order to achieve this, she started Impact Tank, a social impact venture builder, in 2020.

The aim and mission of Impact Tank are to create long-term social impact, improve lives and inspire a culture of innovation in Namibia by acting as a catalyst for systemic change. It offers venture building as a service as well as project implementation and social impact consulting.

"I was inspired as an undergraduate in South Africa and as a mid-career professional in Kenya. Impact Tank is a puzzle that I put together," Mushambi explained.



Driving change

Impact Tank is structured to build bridges between financing organisations and grassroot small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need it. Since its inception, it has built and deployed programmes that provide access to capital while developing skills and formalising businesses.

"Despite the plethora of challenges that everyone recognises, SMEs are and remain the backbone of our economy, succeeding in the face of adversity. My role as an enabler is to help them surpass their current situation", she asserted.

She said she has observed challenges faced by SMEs in Namibia in businesses she has assisted or supplied services to, noting that they struggle to access financing.

“There are innumerable challenges, but these are the ones that are most glaring. We recognise that SMEs struggle with facilities available to them. There are, of course, many instruments available, but - in general - there is still an unmet need, despite fantastic ideas and intent to deploy capital."

Furthermore, major systemic challenges include market perception and access to infrastructure, facilities, cold rooms, internet connectivity and transportation, she said, adding that these are classic examples of how SMEs' capacity to function is constrained.



No stranger to challenges

Mushambi, too, is no stranger to challenges in her capacity as CEO.

She believes that globalisation poses problems for Namibians; stating that, as a small country, we must build resilient organisations capable of navigating the complexity of the world and on the micro side.

She added that operationally, like any small business, Impact Tank faces issues such as infrastructure, financing and talent acquisition.

"Of course, we have been fortunate and want to pass the success on, but we still feel the waves," she said.

"I'm grateful that I've been able to work across continents and across industries, and that has provided exposure and built resilience through working with multiple people, backgrounds and technologies."

According to the CEO, rising food prices are unsustainable.

"Unfortunately, because smallholder farmers cannot access markets, this does not translate into higher returns. Perhaps now is the moment for our country to reverse course and rely on its own producers. Namibian farmers and producers continue to confront obstacles due to mechanisation, transportation and the dominance of imported goods.

“ As with most macroeconomic downturns, those least able to weather the storm suffer the most. Those with lesser salaries, employment insecurity, and other challenges," Mushambi said.

"Fortunately, the main assumption of Impact Tank is to develop and launch initiatives that strive to address and improve the livelihoods of Namibians. Since 2021, we have been pioneering a new agricultural methodology in Mariental that addresses this issue comprehensively."

She added that Impact Tank is the cornerstone of the country's future success. "I hope my experience and sharing this article serves to inspire a community amongst all of us Namibians."