Pushing local brands above and beyond
Hosea Kambonde, the co-founder of iMarketing Consultants, has been in the industry several years. He sat down with Careers to explain how he has managed to stay innovative.
Tunohole Mungoba
Hosea Kambonde's journey started at the Swakopmund Secondary School after completing matric in 2008.
“I did my national diploma in information technology in 2009 and my bachelor's degree in software engineering from 2010 to 2014,” he said.
After completing his internship at the then Polytechnic of Namibia, he started his first job as a junior software consultant at Luminus Consult in 2011.
He then joined Binary City as a software developer, which is where he sharpened his development skills. “Towards the end of 2013, I then joined Schoemans Technologies as the senior software engineer, where my management skills were adapted. I always had an eye for graphic design and as a young boy designed my own comic books,” Kambonde said.
“With the sudden boom of digital marketing on internet and ICT platforms, my two best skills were simply meant for each other. I then pitched the idea of having a department that would incorporate corporate branding through a website that would be backed by social media and other forms of internet marketing channels to my then employer Schoemans Technology.”
This was, however, not in line with their vision at the time, which later led to the establishment of iMarketing Consultants.
Currently iMarketing Consultants has six fulltime and two part-time employees. Their main mission of growing and producing local solutions for global consumption focuses on software engineering, websites and internet marketing.
“We also have three shelved software solutions such as an invoicing app, a procurement solution, as well as our latest solution called System-N, which is an innovative data collection tool, used in the 2017-2018 National TB Survey, by the Ministry of Health and Social services.
The product managed to attain international interest and has been implemented in South Africa as well, with prospects of other SADC and African institutions showing interest in the product,” Kambonde said.
He told Careers that the importance of having a good marketing team all comes down to selling.
“A good marketing team allows us to sell; it brings in the work, and unless you have been around for a while and word-of-mouth recommendations are good, your business will die out.”
Kambonde lists his father as one of his biggest mentors “who cemented my hard work and commitment in delivering in anything you embark on”.
iMarketing Consultants develops the industry by hiring interns, some of whom become permanent employees. The company also has activities, from time to time, aimed at assisting disadvantaged people.
“We are currently starting up a training room with second-hand acquired computers to help equip kids between ages of 12 to 18 years with software development skills for free.
“When you discuss software, especially when custom developed, we would like to be the first company that comes to mind. We also aim to have more than 200 students passing through the company, equipping them with a mindset of local development for global consumption. Lastly, we want to be the developers of software solutions used internationally,” Kambonde added.
Hosea Kambonde's journey started at the Swakopmund Secondary School after completing matric in 2008.
“I did my national diploma in information technology in 2009 and my bachelor's degree in software engineering from 2010 to 2014,” he said.
After completing his internship at the then Polytechnic of Namibia, he started his first job as a junior software consultant at Luminus Consult in 2011.
He then joined Binary City as a software developer, which is where he sharpened his development skills. “Towards the end of 2013, I then joined Schoemans Technologies as the senior software engineer, where my management skills were adapted. I always had an eye for graphic design and as a young boy designed my own comic books,” Kambonde said.
“With the sudden boom of digital marketing on internet and ICT platforms, my two best skills were simply meant for each other. I then pitched the idea of having a department that would incorporate corporate branding through a website that would be backed by social media and other forms of internet marketing channels to my then employer Schoemans Technology.”
This was, however, not in line with their vision at the time, which later led to the establishment of iMarketing Consultants.
Currently iMarketing Consultants has six fulltime and two part-time employees. Their main mission of growing and producing local solutions for global consumption focuses on software engineering, websites and internet marketing.
“We also have three shelved software solutions such as an invoicing app, a procurement solution, as well as our latest solution called System-N, which is an innovative data collection tool, used in the 2017-2018 National TB Survey, by the Ministry of Health and Social services.
The product managed to attain international interest and has been implemented in South Africa as well, with prospects of other SADC and African institutions showing interest in the product,” Kambonde said.
He told Careers that the importance of having a good marketing team all comes down to selling.
“A good marketing team allows us to sell; it brings in the work, and unless you have been around for a while and word-of-mouth recommendations are good, your business will die out.”
Kambonde lists his father as one of his biggest mentors “who cemented my hard work and commitment in delivering in anything you embark on”.
iMarketing Consultants develops the industry by hiring interns, some of whom become permanent employees. The company also has activities, from time to time, aimed at assisting disadvantaged people.
“We are currently starting up a training room with second-hand acquired computers to help equip kids between ages of 12 to 18 years with software development skills for free.
“When you discuss software, especially when custom developed, we would like to be the first company that comes to mind. We also aim to have more than 200 students passing through the company, equipping them with a mindset of local development for global consumption. Lastly, we want to be the developers of software solutions used internationally,” Kambonde added.
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