Local entrepreneurs who attended the Ministry of International Relations and Trade's regional engagements at Rundu described it as crucial and long overdue.
The engagement provided a platform for the local business community to give input on how to harness the potential of the Kavango East region.
The local business community turned up in numbers to put their minds together on how best they can optimise the strength of Kavango East.
The Ministry of International Relations and Trade (MIRT), Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy (MIME) all gave presentations on how to think locally and act continentally.
The idea is to prioritise regional value chains.
"African continental leaders and the current leadership have noted with great concern that Africa is lagging behind because we continue to export our wealth while importing poverty. When we neglect our agricultural products, when we neglect the innovative properties of our young people, others are coming here to take advantage of those opportunities," said Minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi.
The minister said even though the government is responsible for creating a conducive business environment, it's actually the private sector that creates the wealth, which is all the more reason for both to work together.
Some of the businesspeople NBC News spoke to talked about the importance of such engagements.
Risto Mushongo, the founder and CEO of Risto's Mindfulness Coaching Academy, commended the efforts by the government. "These are some of the engagements that we don't normally attend to. It is beneficial for national leaders to come to us so that they can engage with the community, as we have the solutions. We have the answers to our own problem, but we just need to engage to see how we add value to what we are thinking."
Managing Director of the F.S.S. Quantity Surveyor CC, Fernandu Simon, expressed appreciation for the information that was shared by the government ministries and agencies, adding that "These are opportunities I picked up. We should visit those offices so that we get more information on that. This was a nice platform, a nice engagement. We are entrepreneurs in the industry, so it was a good presentation. We must just visit more offices to get additional information on it."
Another attendee at the event was Helena Mandevhu, owner of Nehema Property Developers and Contractors, who said, "We can export many things like timber. Timber is ready for export, and we have devil's claw; however, the payment our people receive for it is not satisfactory." Mandhevu suggested that "the government can come up to say all the villages digging devil's claw must sell it to our government; our people will make a good living because they are from outside. People from outside buy devil's claw for very low prices, but it requires a significant amount of effort to clean and dig it."