About Oranjemund

Oranjemund has been a mystery for many years, everyone knows about it but very few have seen it. This was mainly due to the town being a restricted area, an accessory work built in 1936 to service the diamond mining industry. As such, only people working for the mine could live there, and visits from friends and family were strictly controlled. 

The town was privately owned by its incumbent mine until 2011 when it was proclaimed a public town and became a municipal-governed town. Situated at the mouth of the Orange River, Oranjemund was a closed town until 2017 when it opened to the general public for the first time in history. 

Today, after 85 years, Oranjemund is a much-changed town. No longer is it run by a mine, no longer is it closed, no longer is it inaccessible. During the last 10 years, the town was proclaimed, a local authority was established, and a journey called Town Transformation was started. This process entails weaning off the town’s dependency from diamond mining and creating a sustainable future beyond mining.

Oranjemund Private School

Economic indicators

  • Life of Mine of 2042
  • Other than Namdeb, the incumbent mine, there are 140 businesses either mainly in direct support of mining or small-scale SMEs indirectly dependent on the mining industry. About 5-10% has independent viability
  • Border town, albeit not an export town, with border posts
  • International airport, but not cargo-freight
  • Sufficient freshwater supply
  • Moderate climate
  • River and seafronts
  • Renewable energy sources, especially wind
  • Pristine and safe environments
  • Low concentrations of local demand in region
  • No port
  • Remote from offset – 800 km to Cape Town, 1,000 km to Windhoek

Factsheet of Oranjemund

Demographics

  • Population of max 10,000

Socio-political

  • Governed by the Oranjemund Town Council
  • Forms part of the Regional Council constituency of Rosh Pinah
  • Accounts to the Regional Governor of the //Kharas Region

Socio-economic

  • 1,013 residential properties
  • ¼ privatized ownership and growing
  • A well-established private hospital, providing access to public patients
  • A public healthcare clinic
  • One private and one public primary school, as well as a public secondary school
  • 12 Churches
New Airport Building
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Historic Timeline

News & Announcements

Through our news and announcements, we hope to keep you engaged yet inspired as we share Oranjemunds transform journey with you.

Benches donated and installed at the East Gate Courtyard

Three wooden picnic benches have been built by a local carpenter as part of the support local businesses initiative. East...
Read More

Property Development project kicks off in Oranjemund

On the 10th of August a team of town planners, architects and engineers from the AIJ consortium had an inception...
Read More

Agricultural Project Pamwe doing big things

Mara Beukes, the principal of Ambrosius Amutenya Primary School in Oranjemund, says their school prides itself on its school garden....
Read More

Joint SME development project kicks off in Oranjemund

OMDis Town Transform Agency, Uconomy Namibia and Nedbank Namibia this week announced a collaboration that will boost the SME development...
Read More

ART CAN TRANSFORM Project kicks off at Ambrosius Amutenya Primary School (AAPS) in Oranjemund.

Windhoek based artist Nicky Marais and Oranjemund based artist Aurelia Sieberhagen was contracted by OMDis to coordinate a school mural...
Read More

OMDis open up SMEs Centre on their premises

On Thursday, 19 August 2021, OMDis officially opened up the new SMEs Centre in Oranjemund, located at the OMDis Offices...
Read More

Benches donated and installed at the East Gate Courtyard

Three wooden picnic benches have been built by a local carpenter as part of the support local businesses initiative. East...
Read More

Property Development project kicks off in Oranjemund

On the 10th of August a team of town planners, architects and engineers from the AIJ consortium had an inception...
Read More

Agricultural Project Pamwe doing big things

Mara Beukes, the principal of Ambrosius Amutenya Primary School in Oranjemund, says their school prides itself on its school garden....
Read More

Joint SME development project kicks off in Oranjemund

OMDis Town Transform Agency, Uconomy Namibia and Nedbank Namibia this week announced a collaboration that will boost the SME development...
Read More

ART CAN TRANSFORM Project kicks off at Ambrosius Amutenya Primary School (AAPS) in Oranjemund.

Windhoek based artist Nicky Marais and Oranjemund based artist Aurelia Sieberhagen was contracted by OMDis to coordinate a school mural...
Read More

OMDis open up SMEs Centre on their premises

On Thursday, 19 August 2021, OMDis officially opened up the new SMEs Centre in Oranjemund, located at the OMDis Offices...
Read More