Namibian Hundred Percent

The Namibian Pambili Association focuses on the uplifting of young designers in an attempt to develop new designer products for fashion and interior design fields. Garments are designed and created in Namibian flavor utilizing locally woven textiles and accessories created by the Pambili team.

Pambili not only invests in the development of locally produced products. It also invests in training young designers, crafts people and entrepreneurs who will in future contribute to the strengthening of a Namibian designer product identity, under the motto " New Necessities - Naturally from Namibia".

The products may be African in inspiration, but they have also a Western look because of the way they have been interpreted. There is absolutely nothing like this around! An extensive talk with Pambili Association Programme Director Ms. Melanie Harteveld Becker

Q: What does Pambili Association stand for, concept and how are you organized?
Melanie: Pambili Association is a section 21 company "not for gain". Pambili means "at peace" in Oshikwangali. Pambili Association has a Board of Directors and tow directors (Association and Financial).

Q: What support are you getting and from whom?
Melanie: The Finnish Embassy in Namibia and the Bank Windhoek Arts Festival.

Q: Tell us something about yourself, what brings you to the helm of the Pambili?
Melanie: I started Pambili in 2005 with my Finnish coleague Satu Miettinen. In 2006 I took over the management and started to drive the vision of the association. We are currently a Namibian association with a Namibian Board of Directors.

Q: Imagination is an ideas company by itself. The hierarchy is creativity before execution. In what environment you work and create
Melanie: We work in two main areas: in our Association's studios (or "creative laboratories") and we work in the field with Namibian young designers, art students, trainees, mentees and artisans.

That means that we have to leave the studios to reach our participants and it also means we sometimes have to travel some 1000km to visit local villages where we train participants about product quality, product design and product marketing.

We also deal with corporate clients here in Namibia since we sell our professional design services to companies. This enables us to sustain ourselves to a small extend and it allows us to involve the Namibian young designers in corporate activities where they gain professional experience and earn income.

Q: Allgemeine Zeitung (AZ newspaper) in Windhoek reported that you recently established a Pambili shop for jewellery, fashion and decorative items there. What is the idea behind, how do you remember the beginnings, who is welcome in your shop, some of your products?
Melanie: Our Pambili Shop is the first ever shop in Namibia with a combined design concept – fashion, jewellery and interior design. Here you find 100% Namibian design and the work of only Namibian young designers. The young designers received a platform where they can sell their products in the first place, but it is also a shop where they can test new product concepts.

The idea is to raise an awareness for Namibian design and the use of authentic Namibian raw materials and recycled materials in a new way. The Pambili Shop aims to strengthen a Namibian design identity. The Pambili Shop is very young – we started 4 months ago!

We sell the work of Namibian young designers and also the work of various craft projects and craft initiatives who focus their work on design development.

Q: How it is like to work out of Windhoek, would you like to give us a first hand tour of the city?
Melanie: Windhoek is relatively small, it is a lovely place to work and live. It is easy and stress free compared to other capital cities in Africa! You drive 20 minutes out of Windhoek and you will find yourself in the wilderness – the Namibian bushland!

Windhoek is awesome, a beautiful city that is semi-surrounded by mountains. One of the shortcoming - for our business - is the small market. But thanks to tourism we can sustain ourselves - somehow. Many tourists leave Windhoek out of their travel schedule and I think it is a mistake. They should at least spend one day shopping at the Namibian Craft Centre and the Pambili Shop where they will see the best of Namibian products on offer!

Q: What does the "Hundred Percent Namibian" mean?
Melanie: Of course we can never claim that all our products are 100% Namibian since we do use certain imported raw materials that we do not produce in Namibia. Yet, we support local businesses before importing anything and we first try to find solutions for products that can be manufactured in Namibia. We try to develop those first. 33% of our product range are 100% Namibia and the rest vary between 50% and 99%. It is clear to see that we set very high targets for ourselves. One thing is sure – we add 100% of Namibian value to all our products since they are locally designed and locally manufactured.

Pambili is also a proud member of the TEAM Namibia initiative – the "Buy proudly Namibia" campaign.

Q: Your products seem to be all about forms, simplicity, taste and beauty. What materials are you using?
Melanie: As mentioned, we try to source locally and we aim to experiment with natural local materials such as karakul wool, palm leave basketry, wood, horn, Namibian gems, organic materials, ostrich eggshell and leather. We also try to work with Ibenstein's natural textile collection, also manufactured in Namibia.

Q: It is about thinking what a product should mean, what mean your products?
Melanie: Our products portray a modern Namibian identity and it should offer the end user a feeling of wellness by knowing that we support local young designers, artisans and communities producing crafts.

Our products also portray a certain ecologically cochure message.

Q: To be in touch with beautiful and interesting, to create communication for a multicultural audience which goes beyond language. What is here the challenge, what "language" are you using?
Melanie: Our language is clearly design and we want to "tell" Namibians that we can unite in design. Design can bring cultures together and it allows the establishment and manifestation of new national identities. We can work together to solve product design challenges and we can all bring successful products to a market in desperate need of good quality Namibian products.

Q: Whom are you targeting?
Melanie: People with good taste and people who appreciate shopping for ecologically friendly products.

Q: You also work with local artists and craftsman, who are they?
Melanie: The Ohandje Artist Cooperative (about 500-700 basket weavers in the north of Namibia), the Pambili Felting Project (6 youngsters in the south-east of Namibia), Nammul (2 horn and wood jewellery artisans in the south-east of Namibia), the City of Windhoek's Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (15 youths in Windhoek); the City of Windhoek's Business Incubation Project (3 mentees in Windhoek), Namibian young designers (6 active designers who are my left hand and assist me to work and reach Pambili's aim); several young fashion designers in Namibia (Bank Windhoek's Smart Partnership Programme).

Q: What is the artistic scene there like?
Melanie: Vibrant and active thanks to the huge input of the Bank Windhoek Arts Festival and other stakeholders in the art field of Namibia!

Q: You are associated with the craft centers from all over Namibia, how does this work in practice?
Melanie: We are one of the about 40 other craft projects, businesses and artisans who rent a stall from the Namibian Craft Centre where we can sell and market our products. This place is popular for tourists.

A brief reflection:
Melanie: Pambili is young and vibrant. We have to keep it this way. Only support from people who realise and see what we are achieving will make that possible in the long run. Every person who buys a product from us is a supporter and will bring us one step closer to achieving our vision and sustain what we are doing and achieving.

Immediate challenges and plans for the future?
Melanie: Working on the development of Namibian manufactured design products; Marketing these Namibian products; becoming self-sustainable.

Q: How do you intend to promote yourself in Namibia and abroad?
Melanie: This is a headache! We need to break into a few overseas design shops that like our Namibian and ecological approach. Success in this area comes slowly!

Q: What responses are you getting?
Melanie: So far good responses. We are very happy and appreciate the current support. We will work hard to let it grow!

Anything we did not cover:
Melanie: People buying our products should realize how sensitive we go about our human and ecological environment when we work on projects.

Being sensitive to people and their cultures and traditions and saving and protecting the environment are fundamental issues for us!

Melanie Harteveled Becker thank you very much.

Wishing you all the best.

Pambili Association
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