As the festive season approaches, Rundu is gearing up for the period and aims to make good returns from the tourism business.
One of its activities is the boat cruise business at Rundu Beach – one of the hangout places for tourists and locals who want to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Kavango River.
Rundu Beach attracts more than 1,000 locals and tourists between December and January.
During this period, the business creates seasonal employment for locals, helping them earn an income and support their livelihoods.
The Rundu Beach Activity Manager, Peter Immanuel, is encouraging locals to explore business opportunities that promote Rundu as a tourist destination, attract investment and create more opportunities for small and medium enterprises.
"We create up to about 30 jobs so that they can learn jobs. This year there's not much of a difference. We are even doing it much more than we did last year, so we are really hoping that it doesn't rain so much so it doesn't distort our activities; otherwise, we are really happy with it. Our peak season is not only the festive season; our peak season is winter. We had a lot of turn-ups this year, especially the ones that we do in the essential work and species, crocodiles and crows. So our peak season is not only for tourists, but of course, our local people want to experience it; they want to come down to the new region, just have them and stay close to the river, and it's also like another season."
Immanuel also expressed appreciation to organisations and local authorities for hosting sporting activities, tournaments and expos that attract visitors and boost businesses for local entrepreneurs.
He also emphasised the need for locals to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and establish businesses that generate income and contribute to economic growth.
"This past week I really need to express our gratitude to the organisers of the last tournament that was there for the teachers. The middle cabinet we had a few days ago, and of course the town council organised the trade fair, and it's a very big initiative. It's brought in a lot of people, not necessarily the ones that have been in the new for new ones. We are really, really excited to get there for new people that are coming to town. Our business is niche; we are taking old people in the water, so some people are their first time being in the Rundu festival. But we've had our peak season. We are really grateful, very grateful, to the council and very grateful to the international community."
He hopes to create an inclusive business environment where entrepreneurs can access space to trade, sell food and offer complementary activities, allowing more local businesses to benefit from Rundu's growing tourism potential.