“Bureaucracy must not be allowed to stand in the way of local economic development” says Ronnie Coleman. The Rosh Pinah based entrepreneur is expanding his already large shopping centre located in the rapidly growing southern mining town to include retail and office space for 20 new enterprises. In fact Coleman created a central business district for the mining town by initially building the shopping centre.
The town of Rosh Pinah developed in the 1960’s following the opening of a zinc mine. However, when the Base Metals division of international mining giant Anglo America made a major investment earlier this decade in the form of Skorpion Zinc the mining town transformed overnight into one of Namibia’s fastest growing urban areas. Skorpion Zinc is hailed as Namibia’s post Independence foreign investment success story.
As is usually the situation in such circumstances where growth outstrips even the most generous predictions, shopping facilities in Rosh Pinah did not keep pace with demands brought about by an ever increasing population following the opening of Skorpion Zinc. Another obstacle was the town’s status – that of a mining settlement and not an autonomous municipality or local authority.
But the modest, soft spoken and indefatigable Ronnie Coleman would not let an entrepreneurial opportunity slip-by. Against all odds and flying in the face of prophets of doom, he refused to allow bureaucracy to get in the way. First Coleman took over a general retail outlet and turned it into a well stocked retail store. Then he built a lodge with a restaurant facility. In the meanwhile he grew his road haulage and passenger transport business. It is now one of the largest Namibian owned and managed transport firms.
Yielding to the demands of local residents for better shopping facilities Coleman constructed a modern shopping centre right in the centre of the town. He took a further business risk by opening a Spar franchise with a modern butchery and bakery, all owned and operated by him, as the anchor tenant in the shopping centre.
Coleman’s new Rosh Pinah Shopping Mall is an investment of close to N$7 million. Representing one of the largest property developments in Southern Namibia the project has created hundreds of jobs during its construction phase. Scores of permanent ones will be created by all the enterprises in the shopping centre once it is fully functional next month.
Asked by SMEs Compete’s Danny Meyer what next, Coleman says with a smile, “Watch what I am planning for Noordoewer, as after all it is Namibia’s southern gateway worthy of a development that projects a more positive impression for visitors entering country”. “But first I need to complete construction of a game lodge in Helmeringhausen” adds the unassuming entrepreneur. SMEs Compete, a local firm that supports enterprise and entrepreneurial deve-lopment is engaged in a local economic development project in Rosh Pinah. 

Rosh Pinah Shopping Mail extension - photo: Danny Meyer