By: Hee-Dee Walenga
Tulipohamba Kaanduka, a farmer who hails from the Ohangwena Region is the founder of The Local Pig Butchery, a local business seeking to meet Namibia’s growing pork demands.
Between January and November 2025, Namibia imported 6.4 million kilograms of pork, with over 60% of it coming from Europe, according to the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia
“Growing up in Ohangwena, I was concerned about seeing people travel up to 30 kilometres just to get a piece of meat. So I came up with the idea of selling pork,” Kaannduka said on Eagle FM’s Business & Economic Segment.
The Ohangwena-based butchery, launched in 2022, buys and sells pigs from smallholder pig farmers in the area, offers strictly monitored slaughtering services, and distributes pork products from its various selling points within the region.
“We make sure that every individual has a piece of meat to eat at their homestead,” Kaanduka stated.
He shared that the Basecamp Business Incubator taught him how to draft business plans and present his business to investors. Kaanduka formed part of the first cohort of entrepreneurs assisted by Basecamp.
“I had a business plan, but Basecamp helped me professionalise it. They also introduced me to the correct experts in my field, such as people with knowledge on how to operate an abattoir. Pitching is another thing I learned through Basecamp,” explained Kaanduka.
Kaanduka won the Startup Founder of the Year award from Basecamp in 2024, for which he received N$20,000. “That money allowed me to buy machinery to cut, package, and weigh my products,” he stated.
The Local Pig Butchery has three full-time employees and has amassed a consistent customer base to whom pork products are delivered every week. The business also provides training workshops around the country for aspiring pig farmers.
Speaking on his future goals, Kaanduka stated that he plans to turn the butchery into an “off-grid abattoir.” He explained that through this, he aims to motivate the surrounding community to become pig farmers, for which The Local Pig Butchery will be the primary offtaker. He also plans to set up a restaurant that sells primarily pork products.
