Apodissi established its office in Namibia two years ago, and today we can proudly see the results of that early investment. Originating in Lagos (Nigeria), Namibia marked our first venture in Southern Africa. While not an obvious choice, often seen as secondary in a region dominated by South Africa, Namibia has proven to be a strategic and promising location. Our head office is based in Swakopmund a city on the Atlantic Ocean.
A recent two-week mission in our Namibian office confirmed just how much potential the country holds. Namibia is rich in natural resources and home to a vibrant, committed, research-driven youth. Despite high unemployment rates, its welcoming communities, breathtaking landscapes, and solid infrastructure signal significant opportunities for sustainable growth.
Namibia’s value lies not only in its abundance of critical raw materials and its role as a key player in global green hydrogen initiatives under Global Gateway. It also boasts a well-structured and highly connected innovation ecosystem. Institutions such as Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), University of Namibia (UNAM), a wide network of vocational training centres, and advanced biosphere and environmental research organisations—including the Namibia Animal Rehabilitation Research and Education Centre (NARREC) and the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN)—form a strong foundation for scientific and technological advancement.
The challenging, yet mesmerising, environment has shaped extraordinary resilience among local farmers. Sun-scorched and drought-stricken, Namibia’s vast desert and scrublands are unforgiving. Climate change has intensified unpredictable rainfall and severe droughts, leading to food shortages and even national emergencies such as floods. The arid landscape suffers from soil degradation, making crop cultivation difficult. Yet, cattle farmers continue to adapt by designing management systems around natural pastures and rangelands—the primary source of feed for their livestock.
During this mission, our team delivered the first SUSTAIN-IT Train-the-Trainers workshop at the ClockNet VET School in Windhoek facilitated by Aleasha Maletzky, Centre Manager. Together with the school’s management and trainers, we explored the foundations of environmental education and challenge-based learning, setting the stage for future capacity-building activities. We were also pleased to welcome Ms Ruusa Iitula, responsible for TVET Standards at Namibia Training Authority, with whom we began discussions on the process and requirements for the accreditation of the training programme.
As part of our long-term commitment to strengthening innovation and skills development in the country, Apodissi is also actively engaged in the SYNAPES Virtual Exchange Project, an ERASMUS+ initiative co-funded by the European Commission. The project brings together two Namibian partners—Apodissi and Youth4Can, led by Toini Amutenya a youth-led organisation dedicated to environmental and community action—to foster cross-border collaboration, digital learning, and youth empowerment. Through SYNAPES, our team will make the Smart Step e-learning platform available to participants and will upgrade it to ensure it meets the requirements of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) , enabling inclusive, high-quality learning experiences and making it more accessible to youth with disabilities across Africa. With Ina Willbard, Apodissi Senior Communication and Dissemination Specialist, we met Prof Efigenia Semente, Executive Dean Faculty of Commerce, Human Science and Technology at the NUST, to discuss future research and innovation collaborations, with a focus on the opportunity to join the DataScientia Network of Universities for Human Centric AI.
Margherita Trestini, Managing Director of Apodissi, states:“While our team is already multicultural and includes colleagues from South Africa, Nigeria, Congo-Brazzaville, Italy, and Portugal, we aim to expand across the continent, ensuring we represent the diversity of African the continent. This will help us connect more deeply with African innovation ecosystems, better understand local realities, and support technology, innovation, and knowledge need directly on the ground.”
