Salt Essential IT partners with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in creating awareness of cybersecurity.
On Thursday, 21st of July 2022, at the Theo Ben Gurirab Building in Windhoek Namibia, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two parties to collaboratively undertake a joint National Cybersecurity Strategy and Awareness Campaign to attain the goals and objectives of the National Cybersecurity Strategy and Awareness Creation Plan. This is done with the view to influence the adoption of safer online behaviour and instil a culture of cyber-hygiene in citizens with the aim to avert the incidence of cybercrime in the Republic of Namibia.
Mr Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, Executive Director of the Ministry of ICT themed the milestone event in Maroon, a colour that represents depth, passion, and thoughtfulness. The colour Blue represents sensitivity, imagination, inspiration, and the colour Black which represents mystery, power, and sophistication. This initiative, he stated, is crucial because dealing with cybersecurity requires passion, sensitivity for dealing with the nation's sensitive information, and sophistication for dealing with a sophisticated adversary. The Executive Director concluded by commending Salt Essential IT - "a Namibian child” for partnering with the government “to catch this invisible bull by the horns".
Ms Sonja Coetzer, Managing Director of Salt Essential IT concluded by saying “The world needs more initiatives between government and the private sector to drive 4IR and 5IR opportunities to challenge, empower and impact the citizens of the world. Cybersecurity plays a major role in technology advances to create job security, economic development, and growth”. She thanked the Ministry for the opportunity to be part of this cybersecurity strategy and awareness campaign.
The Salties will be hosting cybersecurity awareness sessions for the public which will expose Namibians to the types of cybercrimes and how to protect themselves from them. The training sessions will also be made available on the Ministry’s public forums, there will be no cost or fee for attending these sessions. For more information, please contact Grace Katjivena at grace.katjivena@salt.na or 0614339900.
#DoItTheSaltWay #5IR #TechRev #OnsGeeOm #ThisIsHowWeRoll #Saltoftheearthpeople
By Grace Katjivena
We’re no strangers to reactions of puzzlement, or even bemusement, at our brand and marketing antics. It’s been like that from the beginning. When we changed our name from Logical Networks to Salt in 2008, we created a conversation starter that lasts to this day. Much has been said and written about naming our information tech company after a chemical compound most commonly known for its essentiality in food, its value as ancient currency, and its critical importance in neurological and other biological functions. Selah.
More recently, our marketing campaigns featured us, the humans of Salt Essential IT, the Salties, as the models and actors. Over the past 18 months we’ve been cast as superheroes, fairies, magicians, and mad scientists. And now, farmers.
Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start, just ask Julie.
Our reason and messaging behind the uncommon marketing approach is twofold: First (do), IT-services advertising is rather dull. Same-old perfectly beautiful people in same-old perfectly beautiful office spaces, smiling with sets of perfect teeth, apparently perfectly happy with how well the laptop in front of them is connecting them to all the systems they require. Meh.
Secondly (re), and rather more importantly, we have been shifting our business focus over the years to human-centricity. We firmly believe that the tools of our trade, technology, has one purpose: serving humans. Making the work humans do more productive, more efficient, safer, and smarter. Many of these tools and tech are a dime a dozen, and can be procured anywhere, from anyone. What we want to do is be the humans with the experience and knowledge of all things business-tech-related, and deep understanding of the needs of your business and your humans. We’re the humans you trust to enable your humans to build, grow and operate your business as effective, sustainable, and profitable as possible. We’re very much into building relationships of more than mutual benefit, but rather as partnerships of trust.
Sometimes you need a superhero to keep your data safe. Sometimes a mad scientist to conjure up brand new solutions, and sometimes fairies to bring a little magic and joy to collaboration.
Which brings me to the farming theme.
Values
One of Salt’s most fervent beliefs is that happy, balanced, and healthy humans are any organisation’s most business-critical asset. We’re moving on from ‘work-life-balance’ (easily warped into a Jekyll and Hyde existence) to ‘work-life-harmony’, where work isn’t just a necessary evil to live. Happy, balanced, and healthy humans are inspired, committed and productive team members. Essential humans.
The result of an internal survey amongst the Saltie-tribe this year had the following values ticked in almost every submission: Growth, respect, trustworthiness, honesty, balance, and authenticity.
We had the answer to the question of what the theme of our next campaign would be.
The revolution that planted the seed for all other revolutions
‘Industrial revolutions’ is quite the trendy topic. As we enter the 5th (Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality, etc), I bet you learned in school that the first revolution that forever changed humanity happened in 1784. In Europe, nogal.
School was wrong.
12,000 years earlier, in Mesopotamia, humans figured out how to domesticate grains, and shortly thereafter the tools and tech to continuously enhance our skills followed. And with it, our lives. Not bound by an existence of spending every waking hour hunting and gathering to feed themselves enabled humans to pursue other things. Every industry, every modern job owes its existence to the development of agriculture.
Small family groups became villages, villages became tribes, and tribes became societies and civilisations.
Nothing has changed. Every revolution since is a continuance of that first one. Humble, authentic, human.
And if you leave city-slicker and socio-political biases at the door, what other profession in the world is as humble, authentic, and human as farming? From the women tending vegetable crops in Rundu, to commercial sheep farmers in Keetmanshoop, to the goatherd outside Gobabis. Essential humans.
We tip our hats in appreciation to every single one.
Join our tribe
With this campaign, we’re inviting businesses that share our values to join our tribe. Bring your seeds, know-how and zesty humans. Let’s build a civilisation that thrives in whatever the future can throw at us. A future of bumper crops and happy, healthy humans.
#DoItTheSaltWay #5IR #TechRev #OnsGeeOm #ThisIsHowWeRoll #Saltoftheearthpeople
By Vanessa Maresch
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PS. City Slickers: After our video and photo shoot for this campaign, all the Salties at the studio that day suffered a few days of hayfever. From, yes, you guessed it, the hay bales we used as props. Everyone except Frans and Grace, who happen to know a thing or two about farming. 🙂
See the Salties working the earth on billboards across Windhoek
Salt believes in employing the right talent. Talent equals brains, guts, and above all, heart. We choose hearty, salty talent that is complimented by tenacity, an eager willingness to learn, and a commitment to the company, themselves, and the rest of the team for the job at hand. Heart transcends gender, race, age, colour, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or social or economic status.
Salt embraces and embodies our values: Challenge. Empower. Impact.
Every Saltie in their carefully selected role is viewed and treated as a valued contributor to the growth and the success of the company, with plenty and equal opportunity and access to training and coaching. This aims to ensure that they are enabled to achieve their career development goals.
Research has regularly demonstrated that when employees feel empowered at work, it is associated with stronger job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organisation.
Laura Moss from EveryoneSocial, states that employee empowerment entails the following five elements in the workplace:
I am a firm believer that growth comes through empowerment of yourself and others. Belief in yourself and belief in those around you, build confidence and trust, promote self-development and growth, personally and professionally.
So you can become the you you were born to be!
#DoItTheSaltWay #5IR #TechRev #OnsGeeOm #ThisIsHowWeRoll #TechnologyRevolutionist
By Sonja Coetzer
As a humanist, I concern myself with human welfare, values, and dignity. As a business leader, my concerns are exactly the same.
A leader's responsibility is to hone effectiveness while inspiring others. To develop employees while leading a team. To guide change while managing stakeholders. To set goals and effectively delegate to best reach them.
I am a people over numbers leader, I believe in a working environment that is safe emotionally, mentally, and physically. I believe in working hard and playing harder, for my team and for me. Richard Branson says: "Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of your business".
All of this is easier said than done. Of course, how else?
Wake up every morning, put on your armour, and walk out the front door with intent. The intent of a leader. It can be exhausting, it can be downright scary sometimes, however, true leaders have great warriors in their tribe. Warriors who will have your back every moment of every day. Warriors that believe in the vision, the mission to protect the farmers, the hunters, the gatherers - the soul of the tribe.
A courageous leader understands fear, embraces it, and turns it into an opportunity to learn, explore, and ultimately thrive. When tribe members can apply their natural skills and passions to what they do every day in every way, when they are empowered to contribute towards success, the tribe itself thrives. This is a simple evolutionary fact.
Salt's tribe stands together, learns together, grows together, and above all, we thrive together.
#ProudSaltie #DoItTheSaltWay #5IR #TechRev #OnsGeeOm #ThisIsHowWeRoll #TechnologyRevolutionist
By Sonja Coetzer
