Harold Pupkewitz
Encyclopedia
Harold Pupkewitz is a Namibia
n entrepreneur and member of the President's Economic Advisory Council. He is the Executive Chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings, a group of builders’ merchants, car sale businesses, and a host of other enterprises, since its foundation in 1946. Pupkewitz directed the boards of several important Namibian companies, among them NamPost
, NamPower
, Telecom Namibia
, and MTC Namibia
, and served as president of a number of high-profile political and economical institutions.
(now Lithuania
), on 14 July 1915. He moved to South West Africa
in 1925 together with his mother Anna and his two brothers, Morris and Julius. After completing secondary school at Windhoek High School
in 1932 he went to Cape Town
for further studies. He graduated from University of Cape Town
in 1935 with a Bachelor of Commerce
and stayed to work in Cape Town for two more years. While on a holiday in Windhoek
in 1937 he decided to join the management of the family business, which at that time had developed from an ox wagon manufacturing enterprise to that of a general dealer, selling household wares and groceries. Pupkewitz has thus managed the Pupkewitz group of companies since 1937.
he opened shop in Okahandja
, strategically situated between Windhoek
and the coastal towns of Walvis Bay
and Swakopmund
. Max Pupkewitz travelled to Europe in 1912, was jailed for his support of the German colonialists, and only returned in 1920. At that time, railways had been constructed and the era of ox wagon transportation in South-West Africa was over. Max Pupkewitz opened a general dealer business in Windhoek in 1925, the year the rest of the family resettled here.
In July 1946, Harold Pupkewitz co-founded M Pupkewitz and Sons, a group of companies he has chaired since then. The portfolio at first mainly consisted of building material and farm supplies but was expanded in 1954 with the addition of a furniture shop and a motor car sale business.
When Volvo
discontinued their engagement in Southern Africa because of concerns about the apartheid system, Pupkewitz acquired the Toyota franchise in 1975. Later Hino
trucks and the Nissan
franchise were added. In 2002 the car sales branch had grown to be the largest in Namibia. Apart from Windhoek, the Pupkewitz group has outlets in many other places in Namibia, among them Walvis Bay, Keetmanshoop
, Grootfontein
, Otjiwarongo
, Gobabis
, and Aranos
. In 1981, Pupkewitz Holdings was founded as umbrella organisation for the different companies. In 2005 this group of companies, which is a well-known brand in Namibia, employed 848 people nationally.
he was member of the Foreign Exchange Liaison Committee (1948–1954), the Administrator-General's Advisory Council (1979–1990), president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of South-West Africa (1981/82), the Institute of Economic Affairs of South-West Africa, the South African Institute of International Affairs (1982–1990), and director of Namib Air and Namib Airlines (the predecessor of Air Namibia
).
In Namibia he served as director on the boards of NamPost
(1992–2000), City Savings and Investment Bank (1994–2002), MTC Namibia
(1996–2000), Telecom Namibia
(1992–2007), chairman of NamPower
(1996–2000), and president of the Namibia Employers' Federation (1998–2007). He is a member of the President's Economic Advisory Council since 1997.
Polytechnic of Namibia
named its postgraduate branch of business management Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business after Pupkewitz made a 10 million N$
donation towards the School's development. In 2011 the institution awarded him a Doctorate
honoris causa in Business Management for his contribution towards business development in Namibia.
Meyerovitz since 1952. They have two children. He is a workaholic despite his advanced age and works full-time six days a week as Executive Chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings.
Apart from his activities in the family business, Pupkewitz was farming on farm Us on the banks of Kuiseb River
from 1946 to 1985. He was an active rugby player, horse rider, and horse trainer between 1942 and 1962 and has won several trophies.
Pupkewity is a member of Windhoek's small Jewish community, the Windhoek Hebrew Congregation, and has attended its shul for almost its entire time of existence. He is the congregation's Honorary Vice President. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the African Jewish Congress and has actively fought antisemitism in the past.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n entrepreneur and member of the President's Economic Advisory Council. He is the Executive Chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings, a group of builders’ merchants, car sale businesses, and a host of other enterprises, since its foundation in 1946. Pupkewitz directed the boards of several important Namibian companies, among them NamPost
NamPost
NamPost is the company responsible for postal service in Namibia.- External links :*...
, NamPower
NamPower
NamPower is the national power utility company of Namibia. NamPower was founded in 1964 as the "South West Africa Water and Electricity Corporation" by the government of South Africa. Its offices are located in Windhoek...
, Telecom Namibia
Telecom Namibia
Telecom Namibia Ltd is a telecommunications service provider operating in the country of Namibia. Telecom Namibia Limited is the national telecommunications operator, established in August 1992 and wholly owned by the Government of the Republic of Namibia...
, and MTC Namibia
MTC Namibia
Mobile Telecommunications Limited is a mobile telecommunications company in Namibia providing cellular access. It is currently the largest mobile operator in Namibia with over one million active subscribers. MTC was established in 1994 and was the only cellular provider in Namibia at that time...
, and served as president of a number of high-profile political and economical institutions.
Early life and education
Harold Pupkewitz was born in VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
(now Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
), on 14 July 1915. He moved to South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
in 1925 together with his mother Anna and his two brothers, Morris and Julius. After completing secondary school at Windhoek High School
Windhoek High School
Windhoek High School is a school in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It is one of the oldest schools in the country.- History :With its 90-year tradition of proven academic excellence, Windhoek High School is rated as one of the top 100 schools in Namibia and ranked number 93.- Facilities :The...
in 1932 he went to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
for further studies. He graduated from University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
in 1935 with a Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
and stayed to work in Cape Town for two more years. While on a holiday in Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
in 1937 he decided to join the management of the family business, which at that time had developed from an ox wagon manufacturing enterprise to that of a general dealer, selling household wares and groceries. Pupkewitz has thus managed the Pupkewitz group of companies since 1937.
Development of the family business
The Pupkewitz family business was founded by Harold's father Max in 1902 as an ox wagon building and repair enterprise. In 1904 at the onset of the Herero and Namaqua WarHerero and Namaqua Genocide
The Herero and Namaqua Genocide is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in German South-West Africa , during the scramble for Africa...
he opened shop in Okahandja
Okahandja
Okahandja is a town of 14,000 inhabitants in Otjozondjupa Region, central Namibia, and the district capital of the Okahandja electoral constituency. It is known as the Garden Town of Namibia. It is located 70km north of Windhoek on the B1 road...
, strategically situated between Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
and the coastal towns of Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay , is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies...
and Swakopmund
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is a city on the coast of northwestern Namibia, west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January so the territorial administration moves to Swakopmund for these months...
. Max Pupkewitz travelled to Europe in 1912, was jailed for his support of the German colonialists, and only returned in 1920. At that time, railways had been constructed and the era of ox wagon transportation in South-West Africa was over. Max Pupkewitz opened a general dealer business in Windhoek in 1925, the year the rest of the family resettled here.
In July 1946, Harold Pupkewitz co-founded M Pupkewitz and Sons, a group of companies he has chaired since then. The portfolio at first mainly consisted of building material and farm supplies but was expanded in 1954 with the addition of a furniture shop and a motor car sale business.
When Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
discontinued their engagement in Southern Africa because of concerns about the apartheid system, Pupkewitz acquired the Toyota franchise in 1975. Later Hino
Hino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
trucks and the Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
franchise were added. In 2002 the car sales branch had grown to be the largest in Namibia. Apart from Windhoek, the Pupkewitz group has outlets in many other places in Namibia, among them Walvis Bay, Keetmanshoop
Keetmanshoop
Keetmanshoop is a city in Karas Region, southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and founder of the city....
, Grootfontein
Grootfontein
Grootfontein is a city of 14,200 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia. It is one of the three towns in the Otavi Triangle, situated on the B8 national road that leads from Windhoek to the Caprivi Strip...
, Otjiwarongo
Otjiwarongo
Otjiwarongo is a city of 20,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Otjiwarongo electoral constituency and also the capital of Otjozondjupa....
, Gobabis
Gobabis
Gobabis is a town in eastern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region, and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situated down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana. The town is from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an...
, and Aranos
Aranos
Aranos is a settlement in Hardap Region, Namibia. Since August 2010 it has town status. The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of , although in the 2010/2011 rainy season were measured.-Politics:...
. In 1981, Pupkewitz Holdings was founded as umbrella organisation for the different companies. In 2005 this group of companies, which is a well-known brand in Namibia, employed 848 people nationally.
Service in other institutions
Pupkewitz served on the boards of different companies and organisations for much of his life. Before Namibian independenceNamibian War of Independence
See also South African Border War.The Namibian War of Independence, also known as the South African Border War, which lasted from 1966 to 1988, was a guerrilla war, which the nationalist South-West Africa People's Organization and others, fought against the apartheid government in South...
he was member of the Foreign Exchange Liaison Committee (1948–1954), the Administrator-General's Advisory Council (1979–1990), president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of South-West Africa (1981/82), the Institute of Economic Affairs of South-West Africa, the South African Institute of International Affairs (1982–1990), and director of Namib Air and Namib Airlines (the predecessor of Air Namibia
Air Namibia
Air Namibia is the national airline of Namibia, headquartered in Windhoek. It operates scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and cargo services under IATA airline designator SW and ICAO airline designator NMB. Its international hub is Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport,...
).
In Namibia he served as director on the boards of NamPost
NamPost
NamPost is the company responsible for postal service in Namibia.- External links :*...
(1992–2000), City Savings and Investment Bank (1994–2002), MTC Namibia
MTC Namibia
Mobile Telecommunications Limited is a mobile telecommunications company in Namibia providing cellular access. It is currently the largest mobile operator in Namibia with over one million active subscribers. MTC was established in 1994 and was the only cellular provider in Namibia at that time...
(1996–2000), Telecom Namibia
Telecom Namibia
Telecom Namibia Ltd is a telecommunications service provider operating in the country of Namibia. Telecom Namibia Limited is the national telecommunications operator, established in August 1992 and wholly owned by the Government of the Republic of Namibia...
(1992–2007), chairman of NamPower
NamPower
NamPower is the national power utility company of Namibia. NamPower was founded in 1964 as the "South West Africa Water and Electricity Corporation" by the government of South Africa. Its offices are located in Windhoek...
(1996–2000), and president of the Namibia Employers' Federation (1998–2007). He is a member of the President's Economic Advisory Council since 1997.
Awards and recognition
Pupkewitz is one of the leading entrepreneurs of Namibia. He received a number of awards for his contributions towards the country's business development:- 2001: Professional Management Review’s (PMR) Diamond Arrow Award
- 2003: PMR Business Achiever of the Year for Namibia
- 2004: Laureate of the Namibian Business Hall of Fame
Polytechnic of Namibia
Polytechnic of Namibia
The Polytechnic of Namibia, locally also known as Poly or Polytechnic, is an institute of tertiary education in Windhoek, Namibia. It has been established by Act 33 / 1994 of the Namibian Parliament.-History:...
named its postgraduate branch of business management Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business after Pupkewitz made a 10 million N$
Namibian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Namibia since 1993. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively N$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
donation towards the School's development. In 2011 the institution awarded him a Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
honoris causa in Business Management for his contribution towards business development in Namibia.
Family and private life
Harold Pupkewitz is married to Ethel néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Meyerovitz since 1952. They have two children. He is a workaholic despite his advanced age and works full-time six days a week as Executive Chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings.
Apart from his activities in the family business, Pupkewitz was farming on farm Us on the banks of Kuiseb River
Kuiseb River
The Kuiseb River in Namibia flows from the Khomas highlands west of Windhoek to Walvis Bay. The Kuiseb is an ephemeral river with a mean run-off of roughly 20 million cubic metres per annum....
from 1946 to 1985. He was an active rugby player, horse rider, and horse trainer between 1942 and 1962 and has won several trophies.
Pupkewity is a member of Windhoek's small Jewish community, the Windhoek Hebrew Congregation, and has attended its shul for almost its entire time of existence. He is the congregation's Honorary Vice President. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the African Jewish Congress and has actively fought antisemitism in the past.