Cameras put bread on the table

For the past three years, Joseph Simeon and fellow school-leaving youths from Ondangwa and surrounding villages have been making a living by using the only technology at their disposal – their cameras. Unlike many other young people in the country, who wait for the government to provide them with jobs, these entrepreneurs decided to embark on a different entrepreneurial journey, which today sees them competing for clients in downtown Ondangwa.

We caught up with Simeon to get first-hand insight on his business as well as the challenges that these young entrepreneurs face on a daily basis as they ply their trade. Born at Oshikango in Ohangwena Region, the 23-year-old says he left school a couple of years ago after failing to make it to tertiary education. “When I found out that the requirements to enter university or any other institution of high learning could not be met, I realised I had to do something else to put bread on the table. That is when I decided I will pursue a career in photography,” he tells FlyNamibia while being surrounded by many prospective clients. According to him, getting started was not much of a problem for him as he was already accustomed to operating cameras during his high school days. “At school I used to take photographs and that is where I developed my passion for photography,” he says.

Starting up in 2019, Simeon continued to use the same camera he used during his school days, as he did not have enough funds to acquire a decent camera similar to what most fellow photographers would be using. “When I joined the industry, I found guys with very expensive Nikon and Canon cameras. I told myself I will have to work hard and save money to buy a good camera one day,” he recalls. Simeon says it only took him a few months to buy his dream camera and to establish himself as one of the sought-after photographers around Ondangwa. He also became a self-taught portrait photographer. Currently, he plies his trade at a shopping mall in downtown Ondangwa where he photographs clients and prints their photos from his small studio. He has an assistant, whom he trained himself.

“We don’t only take photographs in town. We also get booked for events such as weddings, confirmations and baptisms, as well as many other private parties,” he says. A photograph costs N$20, while the rates for photos at events are negotiable depending on the travelling distance and other factors. This coming wedding season, he says, they are fully booked and intend to hire two other youths to help out. Apart from operating in Ondangwa, he also has a spot at his birth town of Oshikango, where he goes to work twice a week.