The August 26 Group, short August 26, is a

state owned enterprise A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business entity created or owned by a national or local government, either through an executive order or legislation. SOEs aim to generate profit for the government, prevent private sector monopolies, provide goo ...

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

. It is fully owned by the

Namibian Defence Force The Namibian Defence Force (NDF) comprises the national military forces of Namibia. It was created when the country, then known as South West Africa, gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Chapter 15 of the Constitution of Nami ...

(NDF) and thus overseen by the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs. The company was established in 1998 and is headquartered in

Windhoek Windhoek (; ; ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which ...

Academia suburb. August 26 handles research, development and procurement on behalf of the defence ministry but has also spread into non-military branches like construction, tourism and agriculture.

Company structure

August 26 is a

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

for several subsidiaries, many closely related to military supplies and services. it consists of the following companies: * Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik, Namibia's only arms manufacturer * Sat-Com, telecommunication enterprise for the military * August 26 Manufacturing, amalgamation of the former ''August 26 textiles and garment factory'', manufacturing of uniforms and

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elect ...

, and ''August 26 Industries'', manufacturing footwear * Agro-Tour Development Initiative, tourism and beef production at Mangetti East, Kavango West Region * August 26 Construction, * NamForce Life Insurance, insurance services for the armed forces and the general public * August 26 Logistics, supply chain management and food and kitchen equipment supplier * Enercon, fuel supply and distribution * Sea Side Hotel and Spa,

Swakopmund Swakopmund ("Mouth of the Swakop River, Swakop") is a city on the coast of western Namibia, west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 road (Namibia), B2 main road. It is the capital of the Erongo Region, Erongo administrative district. It ...

Controversies

August 26's audited reports have never been made public, citing confidentiality. Opposition parties have questioned whether they even have been compiled. During the company's existence, allegations of corruption, graft and mismanagement have surfaced, and August 26 is perceived to be a "holy cow", defying "even the ..head of state".

External links

August 26 Holdings (PTY) LTD
Official website

References

Companies based in Windhoek Holding companies established in 1998 Namibian companies established in 1998 {{Namibia-stub