Vendors at the Swakopmund Nedbank Food Festival have commended the organizers for empowering them.

Most of the vendors were negatively affected by the lockdown regulations of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years.

The Nedbank Food Festival in Swakopmund attracted hundreds of visitors over the past three days.

This is the fourth year the festival has been on the town's December event calendar.

Foodies did not lack, as the event offered options.

The Argentinian grill was among the favorites while the local Kapana was also sought after.

There was a wide range of Namibian traditional food, Chinese food, and seafood dishes to pick from.

Inspired by her love for food, the festival is an initiative by Dalene Stephanus. "Our event is very focused on economic growth and filtering back into the local economy. Our vendors are local small businesses, and we are really empowering them by putting their funds into them and teaching them how to brand so the money can come in. It has been a very, very good season now, so I'm sure we won't recover immediately, but it will come eventually. You know its ripple effect, so I'm hoping that it will help the local vendors in our town."

Close to 30 vendors exhibit their products while local artists and DJs are exposed to the hundreds of people in attendance.