Creative Industry Universe (CIU) – Namibia’s Creative Market Infrastructure

Company Name/Description

Creative Industry Institute Africa (CIIA)

Countries of Operation

Namibia

Ownership of Company: Namibian

Number of years since incorporated

Upon Request

Project Pitch

Creative Industry Universe is a project of the Creative Industry Institute Africa, designed as an integrated digital and physical market infrastructure to strengthen Namibia’s creative and cultural industries. It combines a digital platform for profiling, matchmaking and market access with physical activation through exhibitions, retail and international trade partnerships, including the Berlin–Windhoek Sister City collaboration. Operational surpluses are reinvested into platform sustainability,

Team

Upon Request

Type of Project

Private Company project

Stage

Growth / early expansion stage:

The project builds on validated pilots and existing infrastructure, including the Creative Industry Guide, initial digital platform development, and an operational creative space. With a signed MOU of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture supporting the 2026 Guide update, the project is now entering structured implementation and scaling.

Employment

Temporary: 40

Permanent: 12

Seasonal: 25

Annual Revenue (in EUR)

Upon Request

Total Project CAPEX (N$)

EUR 550,000 (over 36 months)

The total capital requirement of EUR 500,000 is structured in phases over a 36-month period, linked to delivery milestones and performance indicators.

• Phase 1 (up to EUR 300,000): Digital platform launch, physical space activation (shop and exhibitions), staffing and market onboarding.
• Phase 2 (up to EUR 200,000): Platform scaling, payments integration, international market expansion and data services.

Source of Current Income and Use of Capital:

Current income (early stage):

• project-based funding
• partnerships and collaborations
• event-based and pilot activity revenue

Use of capital:

• platform development and maintenance
• activation of physical space (exhibitions, retail, programming)
• staffing and coordination
• market access, onboarding, and partnership development

The model is transitioning towards recurring revenue streams such as subscriptions, commissions, retail income, and services.

Financing needs (N$)

Upon Request

Type of financing needed

Debt

The Company is looking for:

Primary: Other – blended / recoverable grant (non-equity)

Also relevant: Market access, technology support, strategic partnerships.

While categorised administratively as debt, the project seeks patient, non-equity capital structured as recoverable finance, with repayment linked to operational surpluses.

Planned allocation of fundraising capital

The project seeks patient, non-equity capital structured as blended or recoverable finance. While categorised as debt for administrative purposes, the capital is envisaged as a recoverable grant, with repayment linked to operational surpluses generated by the project. Repayment would be structured as a percentage of revenues, capped at an agreed maximum (e.g. 120–150% of the capital provided). Following repayment, all income remains within the Creative Industry Institute Africa and is reinvested into platform sustainability and sector development. Digital platform development & maintenance Physical space activation (shop, exhibitions, programming) Staffing and operations International market access & trade facilitation Marketing, onboarding and user acquisition Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

Feasibility/Due Diligence

Technical: Completed

Financial: Yes (in progress / advanced).

A structured financial model and phased investment plan have been developed, including:

• a two-phase rollout (infrastructure → scaling)
• diversified revenue streams
• break-even projected in Year 3

The model is informed by pilot activities and validated market demand.

Environmental: EIA not completed