Alvine Kapitako
7 June 2011
Windhoek — In a country with a wide diverse of cultures and a presence of the western culture and tradition one has no choice but to wonder if there is a demand for retailers to sell traditional Namibian food.
Most retailers in the country sell food unique to Namibia, whether packaged, ready to consume, raw but preserved using flavour-friendly traditional methods of preservation.
Some retailers more than others do stock these African delicacies, but it is mostly at informal markets where such foods are sold in abundance.
Some food types habitually sold in some retails in Windhoek include Mahangu, mopane worms (known as omagungu in Oshiwambo/maungu in Silozi), traditional Oshiwambo chicken, traditional bread, omaze yozongombe in Otjiherero or omagadhi in Oshiwambo-translated as butter or fat, omaere and oshikandela.
“We sell dry mopane worms, we place them in formal packs, wrap them and sell them.
We know there is a demand for mopane worms just like Mahangu,” said Ebin Burger,
Manager of Tré supermarket. Burger added that the store purchases mopane worms from rural traders in the north during the rainy season.
Abeud Kauahita of the Katutura Pick ‘n Pay supermarket said the shop sells traditional food according to the community’s demand.
According to him, the store sells mostly traditional butter, traditional bread and Mahangu.
“There is a demand for traditional food, this is mostly because of the location of our shop. The communities that are here like traditional local food,” explained Kauahita.
Twapewa Kadhikua, owner of Xwama Cultural Village and Restaurant is of the opinion that local food does not only belong in the informal market, where it is usually served in newspapers and in a usually dirty environment but in sold in some hotels too.
She added that in India people feed on that country’s gastronomy, which dominates.
Furthermore, Kadhikua said traditional food is generally healthier and nutritious in comparison to western foods that are usually processed and have a lot of additives.
“For example, there is more protein in mopane worm than fish,” she explained.
The fact that Xwama Cultural Village and Restaurant is standing three years after its inception is testament that Namibians are very proud of their cultures and they are ready to share it with the world, added Kadhikua.
“We get a lot of local and international customers,” Kadhikua added. SOEs and private firms more often book Xwama Cultural Village and Restaurant for corporate functions.
One of the favourite cuisines at that restaurant is cooked traditional chickens, that are in essence free-range chickens that are raised in a traditional backyard chicken house and they are called ‘black Kentucky’ or ‘marathon’ chickens because they are hardy.
Furthermore, Fruit and Veg City Supermarket in Windhoek’s Central Business District sells raw traditional (well known as Oshiwambo) chicken. According to the Manager, Leon Nel generally there is demand for locally made food but consumers know where to get them. “Like in the informal sector,” he said.
He explained that there is a very limited market in formal retail market for traditional food. Further, he added that of the 30-to 35 traditional chickens purchased, only about 15 are sold. “The people know where to get this type of food,” insisted Nel. Though pork heads are available at big retail shops in town these shops have yet to start stocking up on other African delicacies such as a cow’s intestines and a cow’s spleen.
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