Tsandi is beginning to experience an economic shift that is becoming visible in the daily life of the village.
Open markets are creating space for traders, local businesses are growing, and the Okalonda Bricks Project at Extension 11 is already producing bricks, adding a manufacturing component to the local economy.
At the same time, a number of larger developments are taking shape, including the Oshakati Cash & Carry supermarket, Chicko Shopping Complex, two guesthouses, a private hospital and a warehouse for milling production. For a village that has traditionally relied heavily on smaller businesses and surrounding commercial centres, the growing activity is giving Tsandi a different economic character.
It is a change welcomed by community members who see the developments as an indication that Tsandi is receiving greater attention and investment.
Pomwene Hango welcomed the developments, saying they are a positive indication of the direction Tsandi is taking and show government’s commitment to developing the village.
Hango said the growing investment could help create better conditions for residents while opening the door to more opportunities as Tsandi continues to expand.
Angela Nakanyala also welcomed the developments, saying the growing investment demonstrates government’s commitment to Tsandi and gives residents hope for greater opportunities and improved services.
For the community, the significance of the changes lies not only in the new structures, but in what they could mean for everyday economic activity.
Open markets, for instance, provide small traders with space to sell their goods and services, while larger commercial developments can create new demand for local suppliers and service providers.
The presence of the Okalonda Bricks Project also demonstrates that economic activity in Tsandi is not limited to retail.
Local manufacturing can provide opportunities for employment, supply businesses and other enterprises connected to production.
These developments are gradually creating a broader economic base for the village.
While new investment is changing Tsandi’s commercial landscape, the village already has an established base of local entrepreneurs and economic activities.
The council wants these businesses to form part of Tsandi’s growth rather than be left behind by larger developments.
Tsandi Village Council chief executive officer Kephas Haitembu said there is still considerable room for businesses and investors to fill gaps in the local market. “There is a need for Shopping Complexes,” Haitembu said. The council has also identified housing, accommodation, sports and recreational facilities, hotels and guesthouses, banking services, retailers and hardware shops as areas where more investment is needed. For local entrepreneurs, some opportunities can be found closer to home.
Haitembu identified urban agriculture at Extension 11, accommodation and housing, hardware supplies and local manufacturing among areas that could provide opportunities for emerging businesses.
Tsandi’s natural and agricultural resources could also support further economic activity. The council has identified marula juice, marula oil and animal fodder as products with potential for development and value addition.
The idea is to create opportunities for local producers to move beyond supplying raw products and explore processing and marketing activities within the local economy.
Urban agriculture could also become more prominent as infrastructure supporting these activities develops.
The combination of existing local businesses and incoming investment is gradually creating a foundation for Tsandi’s next phase of development.
The council is now looking to build on that foundation by attracting larger commercial and industrial projects.
Haitembu said Tsandi is targeting developments such as shopping malls, banks, retailers, food-processing facilities, crop-production facilities, guesthouses and other hospitality businesses.
“The Council is eyeing for major development in town such as Shopping malls, Banks, Retailers, Food processing facilities, Crop production facilities, Guest houses and hospitality facilities,” he said. One of the major developments planned for the village is in Extension 10, where an investor is expected to service 168 residential erven and construct houses for potential buyers.
The development would expand Tsandi’s formal residential areas while responding to the growing demand for housing.
Haitembu said the council is prepared to make land available to investors on leasehold terms.
“The Council gives land to interested and ready investors to build on a leasehold whether it is fully serviced or not,” he said.
The approach is intended to make it easier for investors to take up opportunities in Tsandi while the village continues to expand.
Tsandi is therefore entering a period where its existing economic activities are beginning to meet new investment.
The open markets give local traders a place in the village’s commercial activity. The Okalonda Bricks Project adds manufacturing. New businesses and developments are expanding the range of services available, while planned investments point towards an even broader economic base.
For residents such as Hango and Nakanyala, the developments are encouraging signs of government’s commitment to Tsandi’s continued development.
For local entrepreneurs, the changing market could create new opportunities to establish and grow businesses.
And for the council, the task now is to build on the activity already taking place and attract investment that responds to the needs of a growing community.
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