Weiss: Architect of virtual realms

Wision Media and Drafting, founded by Vaughan Weiss and Veronica Frederico, is passionate champion of architectural rendering and animation services, with the team helping to bridge the gap in Namibia's creative and culture industry.

Weiss, the company's creative director, obtained a national diploma in mechanical engineering from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) in 2020.

Before that, in 2018, he worked as a cashier and stock controller in a pharmacy.

Since its inception, the team has won a number of awards, including the National Council's modern hut competition in 2019, the creative entrepreneurship programme in 2021, the National Art Gallery of Namibia's (NAGN) logo design competition in 2021, the Start-Up Namibia slingshot fund in 2021, the Boost Up competition in 2022, the Start-Up Namibia award for most innovative start-up in 2022, as well as being one of the winners of the technovation social this year.

"My approach to fundraising has always been to enter competitions with cash prizes. This was an easy approach to avoid being disadvantaged by my lack of expertise by utilising creativity and technology to my advantage."



Taking on the challenge

Businesses that provide architectural rendering and animation services in Namibia are few and far between, and the work would have to be acquired from South Africa, Weiss explained.

“Since we already possessed expertise in 3D modelling, we chose to take on the challenge of demonstrating that Namibians are able and capable of competing in African and international markets. This was our motive for establishing the company and demonstrating to fellow Namibians that anything is possible," he said.

Wision Media and Drafting expresses ideas and innovation in 3D. This, according to Weiss, means they eliminate the frustration of trying to explain one's idea verbally by recreating it in 3D and then developing something that everyone will understand, whether in image form or animation.

"This makes it easier for entrepreneurs and businesses to achieve their desired objectives.

"Whether it's bank finance, brand awareness or standing out from the crowd. Our visuals sell!" Weiss asserted.



Opportunity for growth

The most challenging element to the journey, according to Weiss, was getting out of his comfort zone. Not simply functioning in the dark, but taking the risk of reaching out to other businessmen and -women facing similar circumstances.

The change from working in isolation to entering the start-up and small and medium enterprise (SME) communities was frightening, but it provided the largest opportunity for growth, he said.

On a personal and professional level, it provided the opportunity to travel, network with people from various nations, and learn from those with more industry expertise.

Another continual issue is keeping the firm running and profitable. He believes that this necessitates spending time away from the office in search of new prospects or business. "It becomes very stressful, especially when you feel uncertain of whether employees will get the work done without micromanagement."

The greatest approach he discovered to deal with this was to provide employees with the tools and knowledge they need to be productive. "Allow employees to be creative and gain confidence in their abilities. This allows you to concentrate on things that bring in new business," he said.



Lack of regulation

Overall, the biggest challenge for businesses in the creative and culture industry is lack of regulatory framework clarifying standardisation of pricing, similar to what they have in the engineering, quantity surveying and architectural fields, the co-founder said.

"This makes it very difficult for established businesses to operate sustainably, without fear of smaller companies or freelancers destabilising the market with low pricing. The government can host discussions with the necessary stakeholders to understand the needs of the creative and cultural Namibian SMEs In addition, industry professionals from other countries provide insight and experience on the topic."

His final words are a thank you to all the organisations that are establishing and creating possibilities for SMEs in the Namibian environment. He listed Dololo, Start-Up Namibia, Goethe-Institut Namibia, Impact Tank, Basecamp, National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST), Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII) and Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), adding that he is grateful for all private and governmental organisations' efforts to build a better future for him and his team.



6 facts about me

When I'm not at the computer, I like to spend time with my dogs, be outside and go camping.

I educate children about game development at Edu Game Namibia.

I adore travelling and learning about various cultures and languages.

My biggest achievement was giving a 45-minute presentation on stage. Keeping in mind that I was terrified of public speaking.

I am a big nerd when it comes to science fiction movies.

I am passionate about teaching, inspiring and mentoring young people in the creative sector.