The Karakul Board of Namibia hosted a centenary celebration in Copenhagen which was attended by buyers, fashion editors, designers, clients and friends of Swakara on Monday, 16 April after the successful Swakara auction.
During the evening, two special awards were made and recognition given to individuals who made a significant contribution to Swakara and the karakul industry over the past years. 
The first award went to Andreas Lenhard, who actively supports Swakara since 1986. He became well known for a joint programme he launched together with the Karakul board under the campaign “Swakara for the world”. This campaign significantly helped Swakara to stay on the international scene during tough times, and Mr Lenhard and his team went out of their way to stage a perfect program promoting Swakara  internationally for three years in a row. 
The second award went to Gerhard and Wiebke Mill, who received a Golden Lamb award for their outstanding contribution over many years. During the awards ceremony, Kobus van Wyk said that it seems as if the Mill’s linkage between Swakara runs like a golden thread through the karakul board’s files documenting promotional programmes over the past 27 years. Amongst a host of promotional initiatives, Mr and Mrs Mill also promoted the message that fur is a material just like textile calling for modern designs and other forms of creativity, a message which they taught in many seminars in China, Frankfurt and even Namibia, and which today can be seen in the modern design used to make karakul garments.
The first consignment of 10 ewes and 2 rams from central Asia via Germany arrived in South West Africa on 24 September 1907. From this date, until May 1914, the department of colonies in Germany and a few individuals were responsible for the import of 100 rams, 58 ewes and 140 lambs into SWA. These sheep formed the core of the South West African karakul stock, which would later be developed into one of the largest and finest flocks in the world. For the years to follow, the karakul industry made an outstanding contribution to economic growth, social infrastructure development as well as sustainable agriculture in most parts of Namibia. “Now, 100 years later, it is time to celebrate this great event. Today Swakara pelts are worshipped by fashion houses and consumers all over the world, and I can assure you that the producers from Namibia are very proud of this achievement”, Kobus van Wyk, Chairman of the Karakul Board of Namibia said at the glitter event on the Sagafjord boat in Roskilde, Denmark.
The April auction marked the start of the centenary celebrations.
·Other highlights will be a television documentary about the centenary existence of the Karakul in Namibia, which will be launched on 24 April at the Agra Pelt Centre
·A book has been written and will be published in due course about the history of the Karakul.  The book will consist of a number of photographs and personal interviews of role players in the industry.
·The annual general meeting of the Karakul Producers’ Association has been scheduled for 13 September 2007.  This is also the date for the unveiling of a statue in the main street of Keetmanshoop.  A number of schools and choirs will parade through the main street as part of the unveiling festivities.
·A centenary collection of fur garments, designed by Danish designer Bente Andersen will be on display in Namibia during August and September. This collection was already shown in Milan, Hong Kong and Frankfurt, where it was well received by buyers and the fashion industry. This is another way in which the Karakul Board develops new markets and keeps established markets interested.
·A competition was launched where Karakul weavers had the opportunity to illustrate the centenary existence of the Karakul in Namibia by way of a wall hanging.  Some of these wall hangings are destined for the new State House, Kopenhagen Fur and the Karakul Board office respectively.  The overall winner of the competition was Ebenstein Weavers.
·A special dinner has been planned for the 13th September in Keetmanshoop for all Karakul producers.  This event will be attended by His Excellency, Honourable President of the Republic of Namibia and the First Lady as well as the Minister of Agriculture.
·A function especially for the ladies has been planned. Fashion designer, Ms Bente Andersen from Hamburg, Germany will visit the country and will present the latest fashion trends at a workshop in the South.
As farmers co-operative, Agra collects and sorts Swakara skins and sells/markets it in Kopenhagen. Agra is the sole exporter of Swakara since the inception of the co-operative, and works closely with the Karakul Board of Namibia in marketing and promoting this special product world wide. Agra’s contribution towards the centenary celebrations of the Karakul industry brings the total value of the sponsorship to approximately N$85 000.
Final programmes and information about the centenary celebrations will be distributed to producers in due course.

Furriers and VIP’s attending the prestigious event. From left to right: Lenhard Reifenstein and Dagmar Gräfin von der Recke-Reifenstein of Lenhard Reifenstein Pelzmoden, Charlotte Binder-Küll of Neudliinger Pelzmode and Otmar Sladky of Otmar Sladky Pelzmode.