Taimi Nangula Itembu, co-founder and executive director of Zephyr Marine Services, talks to The Energy Year about positioning the company to capture business from Namibia’s offshore boom and investing in capabilities to participate in the full oil and gas project lifecycle.
Zephyr Marine Services is a provider of maritime logistics, maintenance and broking services.
- Namibia’s upstream is at an inflexion point, with the country having the opportunity to build domestic industrial capabilities in parallel to the growth of oil and gas production.
- Namibia has transferable maritime expertise from its history of fishing and seabed diamond mining, a valuable base from which to build capabilities for offshore oil and gas operations.
- With more than 25 offshore campaigns projected in 2026 and FIDs expected soon on high-profile developments, offshore activity is bound to create demand across the project lifecycle for logistics, vessel support, maintenance and other services.
Zephyr Marine Services was established in 2025. What market needs are you aiming to address?
Namibia is at a generational inflexion point. With an oil boom underway, the country faces a choice between just extracting and exporting resources or building domestic capabilities. Large discoveries in the Orange Basin highlight the scale of the opportunity here, but without deliberate action, much of the resulting value may not be captured domestically.
We established Zephyr with Cirrus Capital as a strategic partner to ensure Namibia participates meaningfully in these developments. Many international players are comfortable partnering with local entities that play a limited role, but that is not our approach. We want to be involved.
How can Namibia ensure it generates long-term value from its oil and gas?
Namibia is underestimated in many ways. Since its independence in 1990, the country has invested heavily in education, and the labour force is skilled and motivated. Infrastructure is robust, institutions are reliable, and the financial sector is competitive, with a well-structured stock exchange.
What is currently missing in our particular space is familiarity with offshore operations, and that is a gap that can be addressed relatively quickly. Namibia has a long history of fishing and offshore diamond mining, and therefore skills, research capabilities and technical expertise that are highly transferable to offshore oil and gas work. Compared to Guyana and other emerging producers, Namibia starts from a position of strength.
What services does Zephyr currently offer, and where are you looking for growth?
We provide various services to the industry, but have a specific focus on offshore vessel support. We are focusing on value-added services such as real-time fleet tracking, crew certifications and fuel consumption monitoring. We are investing in efficient assets and integrating systems that allow operators to track and improve performance.
We work with technology and AI partners in Scotland, Norway and China. This reflects both the global nature of the industry and the level of trust placed in us as a new African company. These partnerships are enabling us to bring advanced systems and operational expertise into Namibia from day one.
We aim to be directly involved in drilling campaigns and in the transportation of resources to global markets. Activity is ramping up quickly in Namibia, with more than 25 offshore campaigns expected in 2026, all of which will require support services, and we are engaging with operators and positioning ourselves for upcoming tenders. With FIDs coming soon and major developments – such as TotalEnergies’ 40-well subsea system at the Venus field – there will be significant contract opportunities emerging as we approach 2027.
How do you see the competitive environment evolving in Namibia’s upstream?
It is encouraging to see Namibian participation in upstream activities. Unlike many jurisdictions, Namibia allows domestic firms to operate alongside the national oil company, and there is a strong sense of collaboration within the ecosystem. The goal is for Namibians to participate directly in the value chain, not only through operators.
Are you planning to invest in shipyards or other onshore infrastructure?
Yes, but with a collaborative approach. Rather than competing with existing players, we aim to complement them. This industry is larger than any single company or even the country itself. Namibia will require regional support to meet labour and capacity demands. Our focus is on strengthening the entire value chain and contributing to a collective national capability.
We are building with a long-term view that goes well beyond Namibia’s first oil, which is expected around 2030. Our ambition is to be present across the full oil and gas lifecycle: appraisal, development, production and decommissioning.
How has your experience at ExxonMobil shaped your approach?
Working at ExxonMobil provided me with an understanding of how world-class industrial organisations are built and operated. It also changed my perceptions. There is a generalised belief that Africans should play supporting roles in global industries, but my experience showed me otherwise. Africans are fully capable of competing at the highest level.
That realisation was key in founding Zephyr. I reached a point where I asked myself, “Why am I not contributing back home?” That question ultimately drove me to return and build something in Namibia.