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Elongated, with an indent and various colours defined by dough type and flour dusting, filled with cheese, cold cuts or even meatloaf – voila, the ‘brötchen’, ladies and gentlemen. Or to the non-Namibian community, a bread roll. Add a cup of coffee and suddenly the world is a much better place. In Namibia, brötchen are the epitome of a small mid-morning coffee break, business meetings or as a snack on the go. Introduced in Namibia by German settlers over a hundred years ago, the rolls, "bretsjen" (Afrikaans), "brottchen" (with an English accent) or "rolls" (small rolled-up pastries) have become a household name and are familiar in other language groups.

12 Gondwana leaders successfully completed a coaching and mentoring program, after 1 year of attending the Go4Gold Academy. Go4Gold is a customized program which emerged from Gondwana’s identified human capital and leadership needs, and devotes itself to coaching and mentoring these employees in order for them to become mindful leaders. For this year’s award ceremony, the final year projects were presented to Gondwana EXCO on Thursday, the 28th of November.

Pour water into the coffee machine, open the bag, spoon coffee into the filter and switch on the machine – it’s that simple. But: "It's about much more than a cup of coffee," says Mark Stanton of Two Beards Coffee Roasters in Swakopmund. Together with his father he runs the roastery and supplies many Namibian cafés with Two Beards products. He also conducts "cupping", which (for the uninitiated) is coffee tasting.

At the end of November 2019 there is hardly any green left in Etosha National Park in northern Namibia. Only the mopane trees are green, not a single blade of grass is left. Most bushes and shrubs look almost dead. The condition of the herbivores is anything but good. The animals have to walk long distances to find food and then have to make the long way back to the waterholes. The park’s birdlife also suffers under the drought, among them Blue Cranes, a rare and endangered species in Namibia. 

The Delight Swakopmund not only impresses with its warm hospitality and modern design, but also with its excellent environmental compatibility. Eco Awards Namibia bestowed the highest environmental seal of quality to this charming hotel under  the Gondwana group at the coast: 5 green flowers. The special distinction was created in 2018 to honour tourism companies that have invested primarily in the "green" environmental areas, namely conservation, water, energy and waste management.

Driving on the gravel road from Bitterwasser past Hoachanas to Stampriet east of Mariental travellers encounter a dry riverbed parallel to the road. The riverbed is full of green trees, a pleasing sight in this dry and barren part of Namibia. This green belt in the Auob River is treacherous however, as it consists mainly of Prosopis trees, an alien invasive species threatening indigenous flora since it also competes for underground water.

The Bateleur Eagle is one of the most colourful raptors in Namibia. Unfortunately, its numbers have dropped sharply – not only in Namibia but in the whole of Africa. In southern Africa the Bateleur is classified as endangered, in Namibia as highly endangered. The Bateleur owes its French name to their amusing behaviour on the ground as well as in the air.

Bongo, marimba, drums or perhaps the piano? Choices can be tough. But not for Kati. The seven-year-old, whose full name is Elijah Hwande, wants to learn to play them all, he says. Just a year ago Kati was unable to recognise different colours, he did not know how to count and he hardly said a word because he could not speak any language properly. But as soon as a bongo drum was placed in front of him, he started to play it with enthusiasm and a sense of rhythm.

Gondwana Collection Namibia enters into its first marketing partnership with a European hotel group. The Romantik brand includes 200 hotels and 250 restaurants in nine European countries. Each region’s unique characteristics are highlighted with excellent cuisine and an experience of its past. The personally managed hotels form an exclusive collection to meet the highest demands.

It is a tough mountain bike challenge that takes cyclists from about ten different countries from Namibia’s capital Windhoek through the oldest desert in the world to the coastal town of Swakopmund. More than 1000 cyclists have registered for the 2019 Nedbank Desert Dash. Gondwana Collection Namibia entered five teams this year.