Newly selected Face of FlyNamibia Jessica Amoonga, popularly known as Cassiejessica, plans to use this year-long opportunity to not openly travel across Namibia but also to tell stories about the locals and their cultures, all while inspiring young Namibians to embrace their country.
Amoonga, who secured the title after entering the competition for a second time, said her appointment represents more than a personal achievement, as she intends to use the platform to showcase Namibia to both local and international audiences.
"I want my year as the Face of FlyNamibia to be remembered as the year I became a voice for Namibia," she said.
Amoonga believes her authenticity, resilience and passion for storytelling helped her connect with the public during the competition.
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"I have always be en unapologetically myself. Through my content, people have been able to get to know the real Jessica. They saw a storyteller, someone who genuinely loves Namibia, its people, its nature and everything that makes this country unique," she said. She also added that her previous participation in the competition in 2025 played an important role in preparing her for the title.
"I never saw not winning in 2025 as a reason to give up. I believe that sometimes the answer is simply, 'not today.' My mindset was always that, if I didn't win in 2026, I would try again in 2027," Amoonga said.
She wants to explore every region of Namibia and not just well known tourist destinations.
She wants to use her experiences to highlight communities and places that may not always receive national or international attention.
"I wouldn't want to choose just one place because I haven't seen all of Namibia yet. That is what excites me most about this opportunity. I want to travel to every region, meet the people, experience the different cultures and discover what each part of Namibia has to offer," she said.
Amoonga is particularly interested in meeting people and learning about Namibia through their experiences, rather than simply presenting the country through conventional tourism imagery.
"For me, this is an opportunity to discover Namibia through the eyes of the people who live here and to show the world that every region has a story worth telling," she said.
Her ambitions for the title also extend beyond tourism. Amoonga said she wants to use her visibility to support young people, participate in meaningful community projects and collaborate with individuals and organisations working to improve communities.
One initiative she hopes to advance is her community bicycle project, which she believes could benefit from partnerships and increased exposure during her reign.
"I want to learn how I can use my opportunities to create opportunities for others," she said.
Amoonga also wants to use her platform to encourage greater appreciation of Namibian culture among young people, particularly as global influences continue to shape youth culture.
"Our young people are exposed to so many different influences from around the world. I think we have a responsibility to make sure our own cultures remain strong, celebrated and passed on to the next generation," she added.
The content creator also hopes her appointment will help challenge perceptions about creative work and the value of content creation as a profession.
She said one of the challenges she has experienced is people assuming that because she enjoys creating content, she should be willing to do creative work for free.
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"Creativity may look effortless when you see the final product, but there is a lot that happens behind the scenes. You have to think, conceptualise, create, edit and sometimes even put yourself in the right mental space to bring an idea to life," she said.
As she begins her tenure as face of FlyNamibia, Amoonga said her ultimate goal is to ensure that the title leaves a lasting impact beyond her own career.
"When the title comes to an end, I want to be able to say that I didn't just win the competition, but I used the opportunity well, " she added. She said she wants her legacy to be measured not only by campaigns and photographs, but by the communities she visits, relationships she builds, stories she tells and opportunities she creates for others.
"I don't just want to represent Namibia. I want to help people discover Namibia" she remarked.
