Ongula homestead desirable tourism destination

Maria David

TOURISM is one of the sectors that were deeply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic as measures introduced to contain the further spreading of the virus led to a near-complete cessation of touristic activities in Namibia and worldwide.

However, this has not discouraged Hilya Nghiwete.
She is the founder of Ongula Village Homestead Lodge.
She faced tough time but did not close her business. Rather, she changed the outlook to keep it floating.

The lodge, which is located 41 km from Ondangwa town, started off in 2012 as a destination for those who wanted to experience traditional and authentic Owambo culture and lifestyle.

It has five rondavels and a small campsite, has created a total of 41 permanent jobs.
Nghiwete stated that she initially did not have any idea of working anyway beyond government. However, she pursued an MBA degree in the UK at a university that encouraged students to do something out of the box.
Back home, she started transforming her parents’ homestead to what is known now as Ongula Village Homestead Lodge.

She indicated that first they started as a tour operator for the tourist who exit Etosha going to the Kunene region.
They provided homestead tour to tourists who then headed to Ondangwa for accommodation.

But things changed dramatically when they hosted a group of tourists that refused to head to Ondangwa, choosing to overnight at the homestead.

She transformed the traditional huts into accommodation facilities.
She added that the establishment of the lodge also saw an increase in the number of tourists, who come to the village to see the homestead and interact with community members.

Nghiwete said some of the tourists used to give children lessons in singing, drawing or anything creative, an interest that grew with time.
In 2018, an academy was established with the aim of offering skills and technical development to the youths in the surrounding in a bid to keep them busy with something useful instead of them spending their time at shebeen.

Today, the academy is known as Shebeen Escape Academy and offers classes such as sewing, agriculture, hospitality and tour guiding.
“We hope to transform the rural area for the future generation so that they don’t rush to move out of the rural area for urban centres due to lack of development. We want them to stay and contribute to the development,” she said.

Nghiwete said that before the outbreak of coronavirus they had a challenge of water as they depended on rural water supply pipeline with a very low pressure.

The underground water is salty and unfit for human consumption.
“The other challenge,” Nghiwete indicated.
“We are, kind of, overshadowed by the big guys. However, we remain authentic, the first lodge built in a homestead in Ovamboland. All other things are a copy and paste idea, but we remain authentic.,” she noted.
Nghiwete urged Namibians to always persist, saying that they should not start something and give-up, it pays off at the end of the day not only financially, but also socially.