Urban Nest takes town development a step further
Positively contributing towards solving the housing crisis in Namibia.
egistered in 2014 as a side hustle by Hilia Hitula, HEH Urban Nest Creations has grown to be a leading establishment in the urban planning fraternity.
HEH Urban Nest Creations, popularly known as Urban Nest, aims to contribute positively to housing crisis solutions in Namibia.
Urban Nest offers urban planning services such as rezoning, township establishment, urban management strategies, urban development policies, urban land development advice, town planning services, spatial development projects, planning and coordination of land delivery applications/projects, mapping and geographic information systems (GIS).
The establishment currently only has one branch in Walvis Bay but can offer its services countrywide.
“Since most of our clients are local authorities, I need to be mobile anyhow,” says the founder, Hilia Hitula.
Overcoming obstacles
Hitula says one of her major challenges was the transition from start-up to a small and medium-scale enterprise (SME). She says most systems are set up to accommodate monthly income, which is not how an SME usually functions.
“As an SME in these current economic times, you work and receive money on irregular basis. So, it is hard to be accommodated at other official institutions such as the banks, the tax and revenue requirements and other service providers that expect credit to be serviced on a monthly basis,” Hitula adds.
Apart from the transition from a start-up to an SME, Covid-19 also had a devastating impact on Urban Nest considering the fact that the company was established in 2020, the year Covid hit Namibia.
Hitula says she experienced a number of fearful moments but constantly had to remain encouraged and positive. She gained hope that the company would survive, as she heard that most companies that grow are the ones established during tough times and that manage to stand the test of time.
A bright future for Urban Nest
Established with a vision to provide solutions to the housing crisis Namibia faces, Urban Nest aims to help local authorities, as well as the ministry of urban and rural development and the National Planning Commission, to at least halve the national backlog of 200 000 homes.
“The company also aims to ensure that every major town in Namibia has at least one developed cycling and jogging path and that Namibia is developed to have more cities,” Hitula states.
Urban Nest also aims to employ and nurture young town planners by allowing them to participate and complete each and every project assigned to them in an accountable manner.
The establishment also has facilities such as a yoga studio, known as the Urban Yoga House, and a small conference facility where it intends to offer workshops, training sessions, career guidance for young people, marriage counselling, mental health and self-mastery in collaboration with the appropriate professionals. Urban Nest is on a mission to develop Namibia.
HEH Urban Nest Creations, popularly known as Urban Nest, aims to contribute positively to housing crisis solutions in Namibia.
Urban Nest offers urban planning services such as rezoning, township establishment, urban management strategies, urban development policies, urban land development advice, town planning services, spatial development projects, planning and coordination of land delivery applications/projects, mapping and geographic information systems (GIS).
The establishment currently only has one branch in Walvis Bay but can offer its services countrywide.
“Since most of our clients are local authorities, I need to be mobile anyhow,” says the founder, Hilia Hitula.
Overcoming obstacles
Hitula says one of her major challenges was the transition from start-up to a small and medium-scale enterprise (SME). She says most systems are set up to accommodate monthly income, which is not how an SME usually functions.
“As an SME in these current economic times, you work and receive money on irregular basis. So, it is hard to be accommodated at other official institutions such as the banks, the tax and revenue requirements and other service providers that expect credit to be serviced on a monthly basis,” Hitula adds.
Apart from the transition from a start-up to an SME, Covid-19 also had a devastating impact on Urban Nest considering the fact that the company was established in 2020, the year Covid hit Namibia.
Hitula says she experienced a number of fearful moments but constantly had to remain encouraged and positive. She gained hope that the company would survive, as she heard that most companies that grow are the ones established during tough times and that manage to stand the test of time.
A bright future for Urban Nest
Established with a vision to provide solutions to the housing crisis Namibia faces, Urban Nest aims to help local authorities, as well as the ministry of urban and rural development and the National Planning Commission, to at least halve the national backlog of 200 000 homes.
“The company also aims to ensure that every major town in Namibia has at least one developed cycling and jogging path and that Namibia is developed to have more cities,” Hitula states.
Urban Nest also aims to employ and nurture young town planners by allowing them to participate and complete each and every project assigned to them in an accountable manner.
The establishment also has facilities such as a yoga studio, known as the Urban Yoga House, and a small conference facility where it intends to offer workshops, training sessions, career guidance for young people, marriage counselling, mental health and self-mastery in collaboration with the appropriate professionals. Urban Nest is on a mission to develop Namibia.
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