The Namibian capital’s once-vibrant food-supply transport industry appears to be on a downward trend, having dwindled from a strong and stable figure of 59 trucks in 2019 to 49 in 2020.
Last December only 38 trucks were registered to distribute food to stores in and around Windhoek, city council spokesperson Lydia Amutenya has said.
The loss of a steady 10 trucks per annum, sadly fuelled by a sluggish economy, comes despite the apparent promise of revenue for entrepreneurial endeavour in this sector.
At a monthly rental cost of 519.52 Namibian dollars (R558.50), food truckers stand to make up to N$7000 per month in prime areas.
In the south and north of the country, known for its expansive distances between urban areas, food-truck rentals are even lower – about N$302.40 per month.
And yet 38% unemployment and barriers to entry are holding back newcomers from investing in this seemingly lucrative business.
Not only are prospective truckers vetted by the City of Windhoek, but tariffs are also determined by the municipality.
Then there are input costs.
Isilda Barroso, who has run a food truck for three years near the Namibian University of Science and Technology in the city centre, told The Namibian that setting up a truck and trailer could cost up to N$30 000.
Success though was not a given if one had the capital, she said.
Overriding factors such as quality of product and market potential remain unavoidable determinants.
If the economy continues on its current slow-growth trajectory, potential food-truck entrants will most likely not bite, despite the obvious desirable profit margins of Windhoek’s food distribution industry.
