Farm Montavi - Booklet 01

farm montavi

A UNIQUELY NAMIBIAN AGRI-TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

This is my personal journey of where it all started, and how the Farm Montavi concept was born.

Becoming increasingly tired of the imposing demands of modern living and the hustle and bustle of city life, I decided to create my own space. In 2019, I set out in search of a piece of land where I could create a place to escape from the world, albeit occasionally. In my mind, I was looking for a place where I could experience and enjoy the simplicity of life. A place where life slows down just enough for one to connect with oneself and the natural environment. Idealistically, a place to re-activate and engage all five senses.

I wanted the place to be conveniently located within easy access of the country’s major road network, not too far from Namibia’s key destinations such as Windhoek, the coastal towns, and far northern regions. I wanted the land to ideally be in a commercial farming area and small enough not to constitute a farm, but sizeable enough for smallscale agricultural activities.

Just as my initial search was getting underway, Covid-19 hit the world. Everything came to a standstill for a while. The lockdown and Covid restrictions that followed highlighted a few shortcomings about modern living and our individual lifestyles. It interrupted major aspects of our daily life in such a way that one had to seriously rethink our lifestyles and look into alternatives. It exposed the massive imbalance in our lives, the need to take better care of our health (both physical and mental) and the cultivation of healthy food production systems. For some, the world stopped just long enough for us to disconnect and reconnect back to the simple aspects of life and what truly matters. Faced with these lessons from Covid, my desire to find a place where I could escape the world took on new meaning and a renewed drive.

Wherever you may be in your personal journey, I hope we cross paths at Farm Montavi.

THE MOUNTAIN HIDEOUT

After more than 2 and half years of searching, I finally found a piece of land in 2022 that closely matched what I had in mind. The land measures around 50ha in size and previously formed part of a larger farm called Farm Otavi Pforte No.798.

name Montavi came from the previous French owners, who might have symbolically named it after the Otavi Mountains.

Farm Montavi is located on the outskirts of Otavi, about 10km in an easternly direction along the B6 road towards KombatGrootfontein. The property is in the Otavi Valley, sandwiched between the Otavi mountain ranges, close to where parts of the Otavi mountains split in two. I suspect that the

Between 2012 and 2016, Montavi was operated as a vineyard producing a limited range of red and white wines. From 2016 onwards the wine business, together with any small-scale agricultural activities, ceased. Today the only traces of the farm’s wine history are the many empty wine bottles left behind and the young vines which stubbornly reappear in the fields each spring.

PHOTOGRAPH OF ACTUAL SITE

the montavi concept

A UNIQUELY NAMIBIAN AGRI-TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Shortly after acquiring Farm Montavi, I decided to leave my formal job as an investment professional. I needed the space and time to fully conceptualise and develop what I had in mind.

The initial idea was to develop Farm Montavi into a lifestyle weekend retreat for my own use with small scale agricultural activities. After acquiring the property and seeing the uniqueness of the surrounding natural environment, however, I changed my mind. I realised the potential of developing the place to become much more than just a space for exclusive personal use. By integrating small scale agricultural activities with various commercial elements, I saw the opportunity of creating a unique niche market product. This is where the idea of agri-tourism was born.

activities) with eco-tourism to offer a unique product on an experiential level. It appeals largely to individuals and small groups seeking highly personalised experiences with strong environmental awareness. Part of the attraction of agri-tourism is the opportunity it offers visitors to participate in the various daily farming activities found on working farms. Planting, harvesting, interacting with farm animals and the surrounding natural environment all are key activities sought by potential visitors.

Agri-tourism as a concept is part of a new trend in tourism that blends traditional farming (agricultural

The concept has since evolved into a mixed development proposal featuring multi-functional spaces and facilities. These include privately-owned residential units, farm cabins, restaurants, multipurpose venue and entertainment facilities. At the core of the Farm Montavi development concept is the sustainable use of resources, natural food production systems, eco-friendly practices and partnerships with surrounding communities.

alternative farm-style living farm-to-fork fresh produce organic farming and ecologically friendly food production systems and practices sense of community and connectedness to nature

a learning and knowledge exchange hub

FARM MONTAVI SITE MAP

the heart of it all

MULTI-PURPOSE CENTRE

The centre will feature different indoor and outdoor multi-functional areas for both day visitors and residents. Public spaces will include venues for hosting events and conferences, and also serve as a community hub for learning and knowledge exchange. The centre will represent a miniature of the entire farm set-up, in one space.

overnight & short-term visitors welcome

FARM CABINS

There are 12 accommodation units planned for overnight and short-term visitors, consisting of family and single farm cabins. Situated at the foot of the mountain, these farm cabins will offer all the basic amenities and comforts that visitors are accustomed to. They will be owned and operated by Farm Montavi as part of the farm experience.

close to nature

ECO-FRIENDLY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THEMES

Farm Montavi will follow an eco-friendly development theme across all its activities. We will pursue an integrated, intensive farming model, where all farming and commercial activities will be guided by eco-friendly practices and regenerative farming methods, as much as possible. We will strive to recycle, re-use and reduce all major inputs in our production processes.

We will work actively with the surrounding communities to source inputs locally, while providing a platform to showcase community resources both in terms of products and available knowledge.

local flavours

FARM SHOP

This will stock locally produced products and fresh produce from the farm garden. For us, the Farm Shop offers a wonderful opportunity for community development and upliftment.

farm to fork RESTAURANT & CHEF’S GARDEN

The restaurant overlooks two gardens – the chef’s garden on one end and the rock garden with swimming pool and braai area on another end.

The restaurant will welcome all and serve fresh produce cultivated from the chef’s garden. Other facilities include an open fireplace, sundowner area, wine bar and other entertainment designated areas for residents and visitors.

OPPORTUNITY

The developers are offering individuals an opportunity to acquire private residential units at Farm Montavi. This opportunity is open to both local and international investors. It is ideal for individuals or small groups of like-minded individuals seeking an alternative lifestyle in a natural environment. For locals, it offers an opportunity to own a weekend getaway spot for alternative family living in the countryside. For international investors, Farm Montavi can serve as a base for exploring Namibia and a home away from home during the long summer holidays.

Investing in a private unit can serve a dual purpose – from meeting one’s own personal needs to potentially generating economic return from third party usage (short-term stays and rentals).

There are only five private residential units that can be purchased for personal use, investment or both.

become a part of our community INVESTMENT

build your own future

PRIVATELY OWNED RESIDENTIAL UNITS

Individuals or small groups of investors can own the housing structures for personal use. The benefits include:

• Full-time access to the entirety of the Farm Montavi property and its facilities including gardens, swimming pools, restaurants, and other farm facilities.

• Security.

• Lock-up-and-go lifestyle (for personal use only).

• Low maintenance (managed as part of Farm Montavi).

• Based on individual lifestyles. The modular concept allows an individual to put together their own unit by selecting from a number of predesigned structures.

ANSWER THE CALL OF THE FARM

Our target market consists of those who seek an alternative experience and who align with, and value, our eco-friendly development approach, and could include:

• Local and international visitors

• Small groups looking to host business and social events

• Tour operators with clients looking for farming experience

• Students, including international exchange visitors, seeking learning opportunities

We are deliberate in being a small niche player offering a unique alternative to mass tourism.

“Let’s savour the world together while doing our small part to save the world.”

THE MONTAVI DREAM

a place where people can escape and shut out the world, even for just a moment

a special place where people can connect with themselves, loved ones, friends, family and the natural environment

a knowledge hub where people can share and deposit knowledge to enrich each other’s experiences

an experiential space for integrated eco-friendly farming practices

ACTIVATE YOUR SENSES

Farm Montavi is situated amongst beautiful mountains, providing a stunning vista for all residents and visitors. When visiting us at Farm Montavi we want you to experience:

safety and security - peace of mind

fun and laughter

naturally and locally grown healthy food

farm life without compromising on basic amenities

the chance to participate in farming activities

sense of community and connectedness to nature and those who share the same environment/space

a learning environment for sustainable and ecologically friendly food production

awakening of the five senses through various planned or optional activities

smell the wet soil and breathe the early morning mountain air see the stars blinking in the night sky

taste freshly picked fruits and vegetables

listen to the morning calls of birds and roosters feel the warmth of the valley’s spring mornings

the central team

JOSEPHAT MWATOTELE

Developer, Owner

Josephat is the driving force behind the development of the ecofriendly concept, Farm Montavi. Namibian-born and a seasoned investment professional, Josephat has a keen interest in impact investment and the development of rural economies through community-led entrepreneurship.

PONOFI VEICO

Project Manager & Interior Designs, NKV

NKV is a female, black-owned Interior Design and Decor Studio. NKV works on architectural, interior design and creative consulting projects tailored to suit the individual design concept, style and requirements of each client. For the Farm Montavi project, our common appreciation of beautiful, creatively designed spaces is what brought Josephat and I together.

MIA & DANIEL Sticks & Stones Architectural Design Studio

We are a multidisciplinary practice that believes architecture and design is a combination of problem solving and storytelling. If done right, it has the power to inform interactions, shape perceptions and inspire emotion. We enliven spaces, craft beautiful architecture, create simplistic design and envision strategies for environments experiencing change.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OTAVI TOWN

Otavi is a former railway town. The German colonial forces did not pay much attention to the Otavi area until they realised its potential for mining copper and iron, whereupon they declared it ‘German property’. The copper and iron were excavated and transported via ox-wagon to Swakopmund, which was a difficult process. In 1903, the Otavi Minen- und Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (Otavi Mining and Railway Company) started with the construction of a railway line from Otavi through Otjiwarongo to Swakopmund. The rail line was completed in 1906.

In 1915, the Union of South Africa, under British rule, moved into Namibia and by 9 July 1915 had conquered the German colonial forces and signed a peace treaty at Khorab, just outside Otavi (Ref: Wild Africa Travel, 2015).

Otavifontein (Otavi fountain) is the source of fresh water for the town. It is situated 8km east of the town at the foot of the Otavi Mountains. In 1875, HW Wilmer and CC Thomas established themselves at the fountains, built a house and started some gardens. In 1895 the German Governor, Leutwein, visited the fountains and decided to develop the area into a halfway stop between Outjo and Grootfontein. As such, a small group of German troops were stationed here (Ref: Republikein, 2014).

In 1900, Otavifontein was transferred to Otavi Minen- und Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (O.M.E.G) and by 1912 the farm was one of the most successful in the north due to the large-scale irrigation taking place. Till now, the farm is known for its irrigation (Ref: Republikein, 2014).

Today, Otavi continues to serve mainly as a midway transit point to northern Namibia and the far eastern parts of the country: Kavango and Zambezi. Apart from being an important connection point for two major road networksthe B1 and B6 national roads - the town is centrally located in terms of access to some of Namibia’s key tourist destinations, specifically towards the north-west, far-east and far-northern tourist corridors. There are a few interesting attractions around the Otavi area including the Hoba Meteorite, Ghaub Caves and Lake Otjikoto. The Etosha National Park’s eastern entrance is also less than 150km away.

Otavi is known as one of the towns within the ‘maize triangle’, which comprises of the areas of land between Otavi, Grootfontein and Tsumeb, and refers to the high productivity of cultivation that takes place in this area.

DIRECTIONS

Farm Montavi is situated about 375km from Windhoek, the capital city. From Windhoek, take the B1 road in the northernly direction, passing through the towns of Okahandja and Otjiwarongo. At Otavi, the B1 connects with the B8 road. Turn east onto the B8 towards Kombat and Grootfontein. At about the 8km point on the B8, where the road starts to bend, turn left on a small country road passing in front of the “Elim Eiers” farmstead. Follow the road for about 2.5km, crossing a small makeshift bridge and railway tracks. Be on the outlook for the Farm Montavi sign on the left side.

ROAD TO FARM MONTAVI

ROAD TO KOMBAT

MAIN ROAD TO OTAVI (8km)

GOOGLE MAPS | 2023

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