NAMIBIA · BUSINESS
Key Facts
- The company Old Mutual Namibia, part of a South African insurance group, runs the charity Old Mutual Foundation.
- What happened On Friday 13 November 2026 the foundation launched its 2026 garden round in Kunene, northern Namibia.
- The money N$300,000 (Namibian dollars, about US$17,700) for 2026; N$900,000 (about US$53,100) since 2024.
- The reach Three gardens should serve about 1,900 people, with handover due by February 2027.
Old Mutual Namibia’s charity arm is building three vegetable gardens in Kunene, Namibia’s arid north-west, where two schools and a community centre will grow their own food. The Old Mutual Foundation announced the 2026 round of its Green Futures Garden Project on Friday 13 November 2026.
Old Mutual Namibia is the local arm of a large South African financial group, and the sum is small by corporate standards, with N$300,000 (Namibian dollars, about US$17,700) committed for this year. It still shows the company putting its own money into community food production.
What Happened
The foundation said it has invested N$600,000 (about US$35,400) over the past two years and committed a further N$300,000 (about US$17,700) for 2026. That brings its total to N$900,000 (about US$53,100), which is close to N$1 million (about US$59,000).
For 2026 the project moves to the Kunene region under the theme “Growing Sustainable School and Community Food Systems”. The foundation said new gardens will be built at Outjo Secondary School, Bergsig School and Jimmy’s Community Centre.
Mignon du Preez, Old Mutual Namibia’s executive for group marketing, public affairs and sustainability, said lasting change starts with empowering communities to create their own opportunities. She said the project aims to help communities grow their own food.
Who Builds and Who Benefits
Good Food Namibia, the foundation’s implementing partner for the project, will design and install each garden. It will also train the users and support each site after handover, so the gardens keep producing.
The foundation expects about 1,900 learners, educators and community members to benefit through better access to nutritious food, farming skills and nutrition lessons. Construction will begin shortly, and all three sites should be finished and handed to their communities by February 2027.
How the Project Has Grown
The foundation says the Green Futures Garden Project began in 2024 in the Omaheke region in eastern Namibia. Its first gardens were built in Gobabis, the regional capital.
In 2025 it moved to the Otjozondjupa region in the north-centre of the country. The foundation built a 300 square metre greenhouse garden at KJ Kapeau School in Ovitoto and a 144 square metre greenhouse garden at Khaibasen Community Centre in Okahandja.
The foundation also built a 24 square metre seedling house at Illeni Tulikwafeni Community Centre in the Vyf Rand settlement. Kunene is therefore the third region in three years.
What It Means for You
This is a local story with no direct effect on US travellers or investors. It matters to readers who follow how African companies spend on community projects, and to anyone planning a trip to Kunene, where Opuwo is the regional capital.
For the families around the three sites, the practical test comes after February 2027. A garden that is still producing a year later is worth more than the opening ceremony.
What Is Not Known
The foundation has not said how much food each garden is expected to produce, or how many households will get vegetables. It has also not published the cost of each site.
The start date of construction is given only as shortly. The February 2027 handover is the foundation’s target, not a guarantee.
More: Namibia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Green Futures Garden Project?
It is the foundation’s food security programme, which builds gardens at schools and community centres in Namibia. It began in 2024 and reaches the Kunene region in 2026.
How Much Has Old Mutual Invested?
The foundation says it has invested N$600,000 (about US$35,400) over two years and committed N$300,000 (about US$17,700) for 2026, a total of N$900,000 (about US$53,100). The conversion uses 16.95 Namibian dollars per US dollar on 13 November 2026.
Who Builds the Gardens?
Good Food Namibia, the foundation’s implementing partner for the project, designs and installs each garden. It also trains the users and supports each site after handover.
Where Will the Kunene Gardens Be?
They will stand at Outjo Secondary School, Bergsig School and Jimmy’s Community Centre. The foundation expects them to be handed over by February 2027.
Sources: Old Mutual Foundation and Old Mutual Namibia, statement on the 2026 Green Futures Garden Project, including remarks by Mignon du Preez, 13 November 2026; exchange rate used for US$ values: 16.95 Namibian dollars per US dollar, 13 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error