At a Glance
- How Namibia’s richest founders built diversified empires across finance, retail, telecoms and property.
- Profiles of multimillionaire founders shaping Namibia’s banking, industry, connectivity and consumer markets.
- From family firms to listed giants driving Namibia’s private-sector growth and regional expansion.
Namibia’s business landscape is shaped by a small group of powerful founders who built some of the country’s largest conglomerates across banking, retail, telecommunications, real estate and industry.
From family-owned empires to publicly listed companies, these business groups anchor Namibia’s private sector and drive regional expansion across Southern Africa.
Together, these founders transformed small enterprises into diversified conglomerates, representing the backbone of Namibia’s private sector, entrepreneurs whose long-term investments continue to shape the country’s economic future and Southern Africa’s business landscape.
Shore Africa profiles the multimillionaires behind Namibia’s most influential companies, tracing how early entrepreneurship, strategic reinvestment and sector diversification turned modest beginnings into enduring corporate powerhouses.
1. Fransisco Aupa Indongo
Group Founded: Frans Indongo Group
Fransisco Aupa Indongo is the founder and chairman of the Frans Indongo Group, one of Namibia’s largest privately held conglomerates. His entrepreneurial journey began in the late 1950s with a brick-making venture that evolved into tailoring and retail. Strategic reinvestment later gave rise to a supermarket chain and a diversified empire spanning retail, real estate, automotive and agriculture. Today, his assets include Indongo Toyota, Frans Indongo Gardens, the Etango Complex, Select Service Gas Stations and Farm Gelukwater, with additional interests in mining and fishing through Continental Enterprises.
2. Koos Brandt
Group Founded: Capricorn Group
Koos Brandt founded Capricorn Group in 1982, building it into one of Namibia’s most influential financial services groups. The company operates flagship brands such as Bank Windhoek and Bank Gaborone and maintains a regional presence across Southern Africa. Although Brandt stepped down as chairman in 2017.
3. Sven Thieme
Group Founded: Ohlthaver & List Group
Sven Thieme, the chairman and CEO of Ohlthaver & List Group, is at the helm of Namibia’s largest privately held company, with diversified operations across beverages, food production, fishing, property, and leisure. Taking over in 2002, Thieme expanded the family business into a regional powerhouse while championing sustainability and innovation. His leadership roles within Namibia’s private sector have reinforced O&L’s status as a cornerstone of the national economy.
4. Quinton van Rooyen
Group Founded: Trustco Group Holdings
Quinton van Rooyen is the founder and executive chairman of Trustco Group Holdings, a diversified investment company listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange. With interests in financial services, insurance, real estate and resources, Trustco operates across Namibia and international markets. Van Rooyen’s majority ownership underscores his influence in Namibia’s capital markets.
5. Rolf Mendelsohn
Group Founded: Paratus Namibia Holdings
Rolf Mendelsohn co-founded Paratus Namibia Holdings and serves as CEO and CTO. Under his leadership, Paratus has become a pan-African telecommunications player, expanding fiber networks, data centers and international bandwidth capacity across Southern Africa. His role has positioned Paratus as a critical driver of Namibia’s digital infrastructure.
6. Bartholomeus Roelof Harmse
Group Founded: Paratus Namibia
Bartholomeus Harmse is a co-founder of Paratus Namibia and a significant shareholder in Paratus Namibia Holdings. The company delivers high-speed broadband and satellite internet services to corporate and residential clients, strengthening regional connectivity and digital inclusion.
7. Gerard de V. Tromp
Group Founded: Nictus Holdings
Gerard de V. Tromp is a co-founder of Nictus Holdings, a diversified retail company focused on motor vehicles, tires and furniture. Listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange, Nictus has steadily expanded its footprint, contributing to Namibia’s consumer and automotive sectors.
