Sossusvlei, Etosha, Fish River Canyon are a must for visitors to Namibia but the country has more to offer than scenic desert landscapes and bountiful wildlife. This has been demonstrated by several small firms who now offer township tours of the high density suburbs of the capital city and in Swakopmund. What is not so well know is that this niche market is also served by a small Walvis Bay based firm owned by Fried Frederick. “We offer a unique tour of Walvis Bay’s high-density suburb of Kuisebmund,” says Frederick, adding “Tourists are shown the rich and diverse culture of the people of this land.”

Fried Frederick, who offers township tours for tourists visiting Swakopmund.

Frederick, who started providing township tours five years ago, recently expanded his business and now operates a curio kiosk that stocks a range of local arts, crafts and souvenirs, in the yacht club area of the port town.
Inspired to offer township tours in Walvis Bay after going on a similar tour of Windhoek’s suburb of Katutura, Frederick hails from the Erongo Region. After schooling in Arandis and Swakopmund the young man moved to Walvis Bay where he spent a decade as an employee working for government and as an insurance salesman. However the yearning to enter the business arena was always there so after receiving training from NAFTH under a European Commission sponsored programme, he decided to take the plunge and start a business.
Frederick lavishly praises well-known Walvis Bay entrepreneurs; John Savva and Niels Dreyer, for helping him get his small business of the ground. He says the two entrepreneurs still generously make time available to provide advice and guidance.
The small firm also benefits from routine business mentorship provided by SMEs Compete, a local consultancy that helps Namibia’s small and medium enterprise (SME) sector grow business and create jobs.
Frederick points out that it is not only his firm that benefits from taking visitors on township tours but other local SMEs too.