Three women transform Namibia’s glass industry

When Karen Bleys, Michelle Ann Smith and Lee-Ann Hendry first set foot in Namibia, they fell in love with the country and with the opportunity to acquire a longstanding Windhoek business.

“We liaised through a business broker and made many trips back and forth to Windhoek to negotiate the purchase as well as the financing thereof,” Bleys explains. “After many, many months, we are blessed to be here and working with committed Namibian staff and fabulous clients!”

The trio is committed to empowering local talent. “We provide our staff with ongoing training and upskilling and a comfortable, safe and positive work environment,” Hendry says.

“We believe implicitly in empowering local talent… we have been working on a project that will assist the local community, which we hope will come to fruition soon.”

Their presence as women leaders in a traditionally male-dominated sector brings fresh perspectives. “Namibians are well known for their hospitality and friendship, and a woman’s touch in a traditionally ‘men only’ environment has been a welcome surprise to many clients,” Smith observes.

Culture of integrity and top client service

Passion drives every decision at Perfect Glass. “Our purpose and passion is to provide unsurpassed service to our clients and build the business from what it is now to a spectacular success that everyone at Perfect Glass can share in,” Bleys says. This ethos underpins the company’s culture of integrity, ethical standards and relationship-focused business.

Adapting to the Namibian market came with challenges. “Not knowing the town, nor having grown up with the people now in business, initially proved to be a challenge,” Hendry admits. “But through perseverance and open discussion, we found Namibians to be extremely helpful and caring.”

 Looking ahead, the founders aim to expand both their services and geographic reach while maintaining their signature service excellence.

Their advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: “Nothing worth aspiring to is either easy or cheap… everything is achieved through hard work.”

Perfect Glass stands as a testament to determination, vision and the power of women-led leadership, serving Windhoek with precision, care and ambition.