Gondwana Collection Namibia has officially launched its refurbished butchery at Stampriet at Kalahari Farmhouse.
The upgraded facility replaces Gondwana's previous butchery, which had been used for over 15 years.
The upgrade represents a state-of-the-art step forward in meat processing, storage and packaging, designed to meet modern standards while supporting the company's expanding lodge network.
Construction on the project began in February.
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With the production of different meat cuts, polonies, dried and cured meats like biltong and various sausages, the facility reduces reliance on external suppliers and strengthens quality control while furthering its aim of self-reliance, creating employment and supporting local communities.
Key features of the new butchery
- The facility has an increased capacity.
- It includes a full receiving area, a carcass handling section, a processing area, and it's further divided into other sections for various meat processing stages.
- To support storage and dispatch, there are dispatch and holding freezers, plus a number of cold rooms.
- For sustainability and resource management, operations are powered by solar energy, while underground water from an artesian well supplies the facility.
- Waste water is routed to an in-house treatment plant that runs it through a multistage natural filtering process and is eventually reused to maintain the lawns and gardens at the lodge.
COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Gondwana has over 20 employees at the butchery, many from local communities. This in turn supports local job creation in a region where employment opportunities are often limited.
By increasing its own capacity to process meat, Gondwana can ensure better supply chain reliability for its lodges, while also supporting food insecure communities with the surplus meat through the MealForTwo project under the Gondwana Care Trust.
Some of the non-game meat processed at the Stampriet facility is sourced from local, free-range suppliers in surrounding communities as well.
The water-treatment and solar power systems are designed to reduce environmental impact, aligning with the company's long-standing promises to do as little harm to the environments in which they operate.
CONTEXT AND STRATEGIC VALUE
The company has for years pursued self-sufficiency via its broader visions of resource management through commitments like rewilding lands, conserving ecosystems, growing its own produce and processing meats.
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This butchery, part of Gondwana's self-sufficiency centre, aligns directly with Namibia's sixth National Development Plan, which aims to increase local food production and to strengthen value chains in agriculture and agro-processing.
As part of this effort, Gondwana further ensures that food supplied to its lodge employees is from its own gardens and meat produced at Stampriet, reducing import dependency, boosting food security, and creating local economic value.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR TOURISTS AND THE REGION
Tourists staying at Gondwana lodges may not see the butchery directly, but this facility is a concrete manifestation of the company's vision of responsible tourism, sustainability, and local empowerment.
As it settles into full operation, it will be a case study in how tourism operators can integrate supply-chain control, environmental stewardship, and community benefit, all while maintaining quality and service.
