**5. Discussions and findings**

**Figure 7.** Traditional Nama lamp for light in evening and calabash to keep sour milk creamy: Photo by: JP Van der

**Figure 6.** Famous Nama delicacy known as "Jom" made from bread flower and cooked in black pot: Photo by: JP Van

although these businesses embrace the basic business functions, they differ from most conventional businesses as they are not operating on the business doctrine models used by everyone else but have a much broader political, social, cultural, environmental and economic goal in

Westhuizen.

der Westhuizen.

114 Indigenous People

which they resolve pressing social problems.

The findings of this research gave the readers a clear direction of entrepreneurial activities among the Nama people of Southern Namibia. This study is one of the first of its kind to be conducted by Namibians from both an insider and outsider research perspective: The chapter in particular wish to answer the following key research questions:


To answer these questions above it becomes important at this point in time to explore some of the responses from the interviewees.

It was interesting to note that one of the interviewees see the Nama people as very lazy and they have no work ethic. This is evident from the quotes below:

Sara not her real name noted that: *"We are from broken homes, substance abuse, poverty and peoplewho are very inferior*.*" Thomas not his real name noted: "As a Nama I avoid risk at all cost as I do not want to fail*.*"*

**Box 1.** SARA and THOMAS.

These two excerpts in Box 1 from Sara and Thomas are just one of the many challenges the Nama people in southern Namibia has to face with on a daily basis. Entrepreneurial success in the mainstream academic literature considers risk, tenacity and confidence as a major driving force for any entrepreneurial venture to succeed.

*Another respondent Saul on the other hand felt that success in entrepreneurship is not guaranteed and they as a family will try by all means possible to run away from challenges and problems. For him personally he feels that there are simply no aspirations among the community, but he loves the culture and still has hope that there is a possibility to find something entrepreneurial in it*

#### **Box 2.** SAUL.

*A church leader (Bonja not his real name) amongst the local community has the notion that most of the young ladies become victims of teenage pregnancy (even at times from the same pastors) and alcoholism is king amongst the communities. The Nama youth look old, they appeared to be 70 years of age at 20*.

#### **Box 3.** BONJA.

*"Monica (not her real name) noted that Nama people are very judgemental people, they assume that they are always better than the next person. They will at times view their own teacher as intellectually challenged and give off that sense that nobody can teach them anything, while they are unable to do anything. This can also be regarded as self-destructive behaviour."*

#### **Box 4.** MONICA.

*"Absalom a local youth activist said that 27 years into Namibian independence a lot of effort has been made by the government to preserve employment for the Nama people, but people simply do not show up for work and most job opportunities are given to other tribes (e.g.: Oshiwambo). The work ethic of my people is relatively very low*.*"*

#### **Box 5.** ABSALOM.

*"Tukulan (not his real name) noted that staying in school is very difficult for me as a young person, as my parents never had proper education. What can possibly change for me differently compared to their times? I have no father figure and whenever he visits he beats up my mom. As a Nama man we were mostly regarded as hunters. We would haunt wild animals and use the skin after the animal is killed to make clothing. Any clothing we received from the white settlers were usually torn, so we have to make patches and that is what created our own clothing identity*.*"*

**Box 6.** TUKULAN.

This expression from Tukulan relates to the issue of social identity. The way he was raised and that change can be at times beyond his personal reach. One thing Tukulan is certain that his ability to make clothing from animal skin, which is entrepreneurial in itself, it we go back to the initial definition of entrepreneurship in the thirteenth century.

From the research methods used for this study it became clear that in the olden days currencies were use namely Shillings and Tikkies. These currencies could buy a lot of commodities. So the Nama people were aware of currency used by the settlers, but the barter system was also very prominent during those days, when they were trading with the Germans and among one another. The Nama people did not necessarily have well-paying employment as they were mostly shepherds and hunter gatherers. They were working mostly for the white settlers, but because the employment was in line with what they have normally been familiar with most of their lives, it was easier to integrate it into their daily lifestyle.

It is clear that the Nama people used their indigenous knowledge to make a living during the olden days. They could use their intellect, and they lived in extended families where they could learn and share ideas in a team. This later created an appreciation for each other among them as a unit.

Indigenous entrepreneurship according to the Namibian Nama people is what they are able to do with their hands regardless of the limited resources they possess. The entrepreneurial spirit and drive of the Nama people is strongly rooted in their cultural values and believe systems. It is more about what they believe in strongly and what they have been raised with.
