Giordano pitches Gondwana as investment gateway
US Ambassador to Namibia, John Giordano, met with Gondwana Collection Namibia CEO Gys Joubert in late April, using the engagement to make the case for large-scale American investment in Namibia.
Giordano framed Gondwana not merely as a tourism operator but as part of the country's broader economic infrastructure, arguing that its reach across logistics, land access and transport created conditions for wider capital deployment.
"Gondwana operates at scale, over 20 destinations integrated across land, logistics, and infrastructure. It is not just a tourism platform; it is part of the operating system that moves people, capital, and activity across the country. That matters for a simple reason: in frontier markets, sectors don't develop in isolation. The same underlying systems, transport, land access, and operational reliability, determine whether capital can deploy at scale," Giordano said.
He linked Gondwana's infrastructure footprint to Namibia's emerging position in energy, critical minerals and port logistics along the Walvis Bay corridor, arguing that these systems were converging into a credible investment platform.
"What is emerging in Namibia is alignment. Tourism platforms like Gondwana are building real, functioning infrastructure across regions, creating the conditions for broader economic activity to take hold," he said.
Giordano said the convergence presented a clear opportunity for the United States.
"For the United States, the opportunity is clear, partnering with reliable, rules-based operators in markets that can support secure supply chains and long-term capital deployment. Execution at scale will determine who leads in the next phase of global growth," he said.
Gondwana operates more than 50 accommodation offerings across over 20 properties from the Fish River Canyon to Etosha, the Kalahari and Namib deserts, Damaraland, and the Zambezi Region.
Gondwana manages around 7,400 km² of private conservation land, is 80% Namibian-owned, and employs over 1 400 individuals.
