Oshiwambo by Design: The Living Heritage Collection

Company Name/Description

Katuta Architects & Associates Inc.

Countries of Operation

Namibia

Ownership of Company: Namibian

Number of years since incorporated

Upon Request

Project Pitch

Oshiwambo by Design is a 7-year, 7-volume initiative that documents and revitalizes endangered Oshiwambo heritage. Led by an Oshiwambo architect, it creates digital and physical archives using innovative methods. Managed through a dedicated project entity, it ensures transparent governance and aligns with EU priorities for endangered culture, gender equality, and sustainable economies.

Team

Upon Request

Type of Project

Private Company Project

Stage

Feasibility Stage

The project has completed conceptualization, preliminary research, and structural planning. A full 7-volume content architecture has been developed. Partnership discussions with the Oshiwambo (Omusati) Traditional Authority are underway, and a multilingual publication framework is in place. The project is now positioned to enter the development phase, beginning with the creation of a 50-page Proof of Concept Sampler to secure funding for full production.

Employment

Temporary: 3

Permanent: 4

Seasonal: 10

Annual Revenue (in EUR)

Upon Request

Total Project CAPEX (N$)

N$1.2M

Source of Current Income and Use of Capital:

None. The project is pre-revenue and currently self-funded by the author and co-sponsors for preliminary research and partnership development.

Financing needs (N$)

€294,000

Type of financing needed / The Company is looking for:

Equity Financing & Grant Funding (Blended Approach)

• Equity Financing: Seeking impact investors who will receive a share in the dedicated project SPV (Oshiwambo Heritage Institute), aligned with long-term revenue from book sales, digital subscriptions, and licensing.
• Grant Funding: Pursuing non-repayable cultural heritage grants (e.g., EU Creative Europe, UNESCO, Prince Claus Fund) to support research, community engagement, and initial production without diluting ownership.

Not Seeking: Debt financing (due to early-stage revenue profile) or traditional bank loans.

Planned allocation of fundraising capital

Total Project Budget: €420,000 EU Request (70%) + Own Contribution (30%)

• Total Personnel: €98,700 + €42,300 = €141,000
• Project Director (7 yrs): €42,000 + €18,000 = €60,000
• Cultural Researchers (vol-based): €35,000 + €15,000 = €50,000
• Youth Apprentices (stipends): €21,700 + €9,300 = €31,000
• Travel & Fieldwork: €52,500 + €22,500 = €75,000
• Regional documentation trips: €35,000 + €15,000 = €50,000
• EU-Namibia exchange visits: €17,500 + €7,500 = €25,000
• Production Costs: €84,000 + €36,000 = €120,000
• Book design & printing: €56,000 + €24,000 = €80,000
• Digital platform development: €28,000 + €12,000 = €40,000
• Equipment & Materials: €31,500 + €13,500 = €45,000
• Documentation equipment: €21,000 + €9,000 = €30,000
• Archival materials: €10,500 + €4,500 = €15,000
• Dissemination & Events: €17,500 + €7,500 = €25,000
• Launch events, exhibitions: €10,500 + €4,500 = €15,000
• Conference participation: €7,000 + €3,000 = €10,000
• Administration & Overhead: €9,800 + €4,200 = €14,000

TOTAL: €294,000 + €126,000 = €420,000

Feasibility/Due Diligence

Technical: Not completed

Financial: Yes, a preliminary financial model has been developed. A detailed budget breakdown with cost allocations by phase is available in the full proposal.

Environmental: Project does not require EIA