Totem Expo off to a slow start

Oshakati’s first ever Totem Expo got off to a rocky start, with exhibitors wasting solid trading hours waiting for infrastructure at the show-grounds to be completed on the day of the opening.

Speaking to Namibian Sun on Wednesday, irate exhibitors who were forced to wait around with their goods for more than four hours accused the Oshakati Town Council of poor organisation.

“We were told we would start trading today and we were counting on four full trading days so that we can make profits from our business. Now it looks like we will be losing an entire day of trading because the Oshakati Town Council isn’t well prepared,” said one trader.

The expo, held behind the Yetu Shopping Complex in Oshakati East, opened on Wednesday and will run until Saturday, June 30.

The event was organised with the aim of celebrating Namibian cultures and traditions, while attracting business opportunities, promoting tourism at the town as well as advancing cultural identity.

“Everything is moving very slowly. The grounds are empty and we are worried we won’t make any money. Now we are just praying everything goes well and we didn’t make a mistake coming here,” said another exhibitor.

Jackson Muma, Public Relations Officer of the Town Council admitted that the exhibition started off on a slow note, but insists that things picked up during the course of the day.

“We started slowly, not big. This is a something new and we are taking it step by step. Since it’s going to be an annual event, we are hoping to learn from our mistakes and improve on them next year,” said Muma.

More than N$230,000 was raised for the expo during a fundraising gala dinner about three weeks ago.

Muma added that despite the hiccups experienced on the first day, the expo received overwhelming support, with 130 exhibitors currently showing-casing their goods and services at the event.

“We are very happy with the number of exhibitors. It is a new event, but what I can tell you is that it’s going well now,” stated Muma.

Different floats, based on Namibian totems, were yesterday paraded through the town to attract members of the public to the event.