In the Damaraland, where the flat-topped Etendeka mountains and the carpet of rich red rock greet the tributaries of the Uniab River, lies Palmwag Lodge.
As the year nears its end, we reflect on an incredibly challenging year in which previously unmatched difficulties were faced, particularly within Namibia’s Tourism sector. In the words of Gondwana Collection Namibia’s Managing Director Gys Joubert, a new reality dawned on us which did not include anything recognizable or familiar. And yet, in the midst of all this, people have still found opportunities to show innovation and creativity, even in the simplest of ways. Two employees at Palmwag Lodge & Camp, Erwin Kandivi and Hendrik Jameson, proceeded to do exactly that.
Palmwag Lodge & Camp is located in the northwestern parts of the country, in the harsh and dry Kunene region. Despite the hot climate here in Damaraland, these two Gondwanians decided to utilize their time innovatively and constructively by packing rocks around various trees and plants on the property. Every individual rock was packed by hand either in circular forms or in a heart shape and even star shapes.
Erwin and Hendrik are only one example of Gondwanians with an immense dedication and who are determined to generate value. They worked on this project for months-on-end and are still continuing further.
At Gondwana, our focus is on the individual value creator as an indispensable part within providing our service. We encourage employees to be creative in their own ways, show passion within their work and most importantly, be driven by our purpose as a company and our culture.
As Gys Joubert mentions, people like Erwin and Hendrik are just two of the 1100 tourism people who had to turn into 1100 artists overnight, and without whom Gondwana would not be what it is.
Click to read The Indispensables