Ohlthaver & List (O&L) has launched its revamped Model store at Auas Valley, part of a nationwide chain that has created 1,634 jobs.
The launch follows the group’s decision to revert to the Model brand after ending its Pick n Pay franchise in July.
“Through Model’s 18 stores, we’ve created 1,634 substantial employment opportunities with dignified wages. Model stores represent significant capital investment and support national development priorities,” said O&L Executive Chairman, Sven Thieme.
He stressed that each outlet contributes to the targets of the National Development Plan 6 (NDP6) by boosting employment and economic growth.
“As our President Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah stated, we must move away from depending only on raw exports. We must add value locally and create jobs,” Thieme added.
Thieme described the opening of the Auas Valley store as part of a legacy that has shaped the Namibian economy for more than a century.
O&L has been in operation since 1919, while the Model brand has served Namibian families for 60 years.
“When visionary farmer, my grandfather Werner List, purchased a stake in Model Super Market in 1965, he was creating retail outlets for his produce while at the same time planting the seeds of what would become Namibia’s most enduring retail legacy,” Thieme said.
The company emphasised its return to Model as a Namibian-owned brand, highlighting it as a deliberate step to secure ownership and decision-making within the country.
“We believe that true economic transformation happens when businesses are not only operating in Namibia, but are genuinely of Namibia, owned by Namibians, led by Namibians and serving Namibian aspirations,” Thieme said.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi delivered the keynote address, noting that NDP6 sets ambitious targets for secondary industries and manufacturing. She stressed that government alone cannot achieve these goals.
“NDP6 aims for the secondary industry to contribute 25% to GDP, while manufacturing is targeted to contribute 18%. Furthermore, our goal in NDP6 is to create 30,000 green jobs by 2030 and employ 70,000 people in secondary industries. These targets cannot be achieved by government alone. We need the support of private sector partners such as the O&L Group, as well as other stakeholders,” she said.
Witbooi added that O&L has been part of the Namibian economy for more than a century and remains aligned with national development.
“I am pleased to note that for 106 years, the O&L Group has been a partner in building our economy, from humble beginnings in 1919 to becoming one of Namibia’s largest privately held enterprises. This is a remarkable journey which mirrors our country’s own development story,” she said.
