Windhoek Mayor Urges Greater Support for Creative Industry Institute Africa

Windhoek Mayor Urges Greater Support for Creative Industry Institute Africa. Windhoek Mayor, Her Worship Ndeshihafela Larandja, has called for stronger recognition and support of Namibia’s cultural and creative industries following her recent visit to the Creative Industry Institute Africa.

The institute, founded by filmmaker Joel Haikali, has become a cornerstone for empowering creatives to tell authentic stories rooted in Namibia’s culture, history, and heritage. It works with artists to transform cultural narratives into products and services that contribute to both the creative economy and the preservation of national identity.

During her tour, Mayor Larandja was shown the institute’s extensive collection of costumes, artifacts, and heritage items, many of which are actively used in film productions. The facility also functions as a knowledge-sharing hub and research center, integrating creativity, tourism, and heritage under one roof.

“The Creative Industry Institute Africa is doing remarkable work in safeguarding our cultural heritage while creating opportunities in film, tourism, and the broader creative sector. It is essential that we support and strengthen such initiatives,” the Mayor said.

She raised concern that despite the institute’s contributions, it has not yet received the level of recognition and support it deserves from government and political leaders. Larandja stressed the importance of investing in cultural institutions as part of Namibia’s broader economic development strategy.

Looking forward, the Mayor expressed her commitment to exploring partnership opportunities between the City of Windhoek and the institute through tourism, art, and culture initiatives. She also revealed that steps will be taken toward establishing a Memorandum of Understanding to structure collaboration.

The visit underlined the city’s growing recognition of the creative sector as not only a driver of cultural preservation but also a key contributor to tourism promotion and economic diversification.