Hospitality Association of Namibia

What Hospitality Association of Namibia does

The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) is a private, nonprofit membership-based trade association headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia, founded in 1987 with 16 initial members. It represents over 400 members spanning the full hospitality value chain — hotels, guest houses, guest farms, lodges, rest camps, restaurants, conference centres, and catering services — through three membership tiers (Full, Supporting, and Associate). HAN operates as the recognized umbrella body for the Namibian hospitality sector, providing government advocacy, networking, training facilitation, generic marketing support, promotion of quality standards, and a stated commitment to Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE).

HAN's primary digital assets are the "Where To Stay" platform — a 600+ listing accommodation directory covering Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, available on web and as an offline-capable Android mobile application — and a searchable online members directory of 350+ businesses. The association also operates a tourism statistics collection system, gathering monthly room and bed occupancy data from members and distributing monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reports to banks, statisticians, investors, and industry stakeholders. Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership subscription fees (pricing not publicly disclosed), supplemented by services such as statistics compilation and congress event programming. Distribution is predominantly self-serve via the website, with the annual HAN Congress serving as the key member and industry gathering.

The organization's strategic agenda has recently expanded beyond traditional trade association functions. In February 2026, HAN partnered with TalentsBridge e.V., the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Berlin), the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and the Ministry of Education to establish a German-standard vocational training centre in Namibia, with 100 trainees in the 2026 intake across hospitality, industrial electrics, and wholesale & retail, including job placement pathways to Germany. HAN is led by a small staff of 1-10 employees headed by CEO Gitta Paetzold, with an executive team drawn from member businesses representing the industry's largest operators.

Name

Hospitality Association of Namibia

Legal name

Hospitality Association of Namibia

Website

https://hannamibia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hospitality Association of Namibia is a Windhoek-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1987 that represents 400+ hospitality businesses — hotels, lodges, guest houses, restaurants, and caterers — through advocacy, networking, training, and the cross-border "Where To Stay" accommodation platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Windhoek

HQ country

Namibia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HAN generates revenue through annual membership fees from Full Members (accommodation providers), Supporting Members (suppliers, marketeers), and Associate Members (tourism stakeholders). Membership applications are processed upon receipt of completed forms.
2. Tourism Levy Administration Support: HAN collects tourism statistics forms (similar to those submitted to NTB with tourism levy payments) from members and compiles performance reports distributed to stakeholders including banks and investors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HAN is a membership-based trade association representing Namibia's hospitality industry since 1987. It provides industry advocacy, lobbying, networking, training facilitation, and tourism statistics collection to over 400 member businesses. The association also operates the "Where To Stay" platform, an accommodation directory listing 600+ properties across Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, plus a downloadable Android app for offline trip planning.

Product overview

The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) is a membership-based trade association established in 1987, not a technology product company. HAN represents accommodation providers across the hospitality industry spectrum (hotels, guesthouses, guest farms, lodges, rest camps, restaurants, conference centres, and catering services) and serves approximately 400 members. HAN's primary digital offerings consist of the Where To Stay Platform and Android App, which provide accommodation listings and trip planning functionality. Supporting products include downloadable membership application forms and tourism statistics collection tools. The association also operates a members directory, document repository, and news/announcements section.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HAN Membership Programme A three-tier association membership programme offering Full Membership for accommodation providers (hotels, guest houses, guest farms, lodges, rest camps, restaurants, conference centres, catering services), Supporting Membership for hospitality suppliers and marketers, and Associate Membership for tourism stakeholders. Benefits include industry advocacy, networking, training facilitation, generic marketing and PR support, and access to monthly, quarterly and annual accommodation performance reports.
• Where To Stay Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Grown from 16 members in 1987 to over 400 members today
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• TalentsBridge e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026HAN partnered with TalentsBridge e.V. as a local partner in Namibia to establish a vocational training centre. The programme, implemented in cooperation with the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Berlin), Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and the Ministry of Education, addresses Germany's skilled worker shortage while tackling Namibia's youth unemployment through German-standard qualifications and language training.
• Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with HAN and TalentsBridge to deliver German dual-education vocational training standards in Namibia, providing internationally recognized qualifications for hospitality, industrial electrics, and wholesale & retail sectors.
• Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in the TalentsBridge vocational training programme, supporting the establishment of training centres and youth empowerment initiatives in Namibia.
• Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnering in the German apprenticeship programme to provide official recognition and support for vocational training initiatives in Namibia.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Hotel Association of Tanzania (HAT): HAT represents hotels and hospitality businesses in Tanzania, providing advocacy, training, and industry representation. Comparable to HAN as an East African national hotel and hospitality industry association with a similar member services model.
• Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHAR): AHAR is a long-established Indian trade body representing hotels and restaurants, providing advocacy, training, and member support. Comparable to HAN as a national hospitality industry association, though operating in a much larger and more fragmented market.
• Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC): KAHC is the national hospitality industry body for Kenya, offering advocacy, training, and member services to hotels, restaurants, and caterers. It is a regional peer operating in a different African geography but serving a comparable member base and mandate.

Direct peers

• Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA): FEDHASA is the umbrella body for the hospitality industry across Southern Africa, representing hotels, restaurants, and accommodation providers. It is the most direct peer to HAN given overlapping mandate (advocacy, training, industry representation) and overlapping geographic footprint in the SADC region.
• Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA): TBCSA is a private-sector body representing the broader tourism value chain in South Africa, providing advocacy, research, and stakeholder engagement. Its role as a collective industry voice serving both accommodation and tourism stakeholders is structurally analogous to HAN's.
• Southern African Tourism Services Association (SATSA): SATSA represents tourism service providers across Southern Africa, including accommodation, tour operators, and transport. Its membership-driven advocacy, training, and quality standards programmes closely mirror HAN's core activities within an adjacent geography.

Others

• United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): UNWTO is the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, setting global standards, providing research, and supporting sustainable tourism policy. It is an enabling / thematic peer given HAN's interactions with government on national tourism strategy, rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): WTTC is a global industry body that represents the travel and tourism private sector, producing flagship economic research and engaging governments on policy. It overlaps with HAN's advocacy and data roles but operates at a global, rather than national, level.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): AHLA is the largest national lodging industry association in the United States, representing more than 30,000 members across hotels, suppliers, and partners. It is a broad incumbent comparable to HAN in mission (advocacy, standards, member services) but vastly larger in scale and resources.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): PATA is a membership-based tourism association serving the Asia-Pacific region, focused on advocacy, research, and industry development. Comparable in its membership-driven model and industry representation mandate, but operating at a regional rather than national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hannamibia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hospitality-association-of-namibia-han
• Instagraminstagram.com/hannamibia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hospitality Association of Namibia