One OL. One Persona. One Future.

OL, one of Namibia's most prominent business groups, has unveiled a reinvented brand identity, marking one of the most significant visual transformations in the organisation's 100+ year history. Central to the new identity is the principle of One OL: A single, unified organisation operating with one culture and one Persona and the new logo, merged into one integrated mark, gives tangible form to this new vision.

At the reveal Sven Thieme, Executive Chairman of OL stated: “The identity reset follows several years of deliberate internal transformation, built on the core characteristics of our OL Persona - Authentic, Caring and Passionate - which guide the way the organisation shows up in every interaction, every decision and every experience it creates for its people, its customers and its communities. We have strengthened our leadership, deepened our organisational culture and repositioned our operating companies for the next chapter, building towards our world-class ambitions with discipline, courage and care.”  

Thieme added that standing still was the riskiest move any leader could make as business history was full of organisations that refined what worked and, slowly, became irrelevant. “We have chosen a different path. Over the past few years, we have moved, transformed and reinvented. And tonight, we are aligning the outside with the inside.”

The reveal marks the starting point of OL’s path towards Vision 2029, which targets industry-standard returns across all operating companies, N$2.5 billion EBIT and an OL Persona score above 85%. The group also aspires to be recognised among the Top 10 Great Places to Work globally.

“Our pioneers gave us the foundation. What we build on it is our responsibility and our honour,” Thieme concluded. “We are an organisation that strives to be world-class while staying true to our heritage and authentically Namibian. I have never been more excited about what comes next. One OL. One Persona. One Future.”

The refined visual identity includes an updated colour palette chosen to express stature and world-class experience, new typography communicating modernity and forward momentum and the anchoring of “Est. 1919” at the base of the logo — an acknowledgement to founders and pioneers Herman Ohlthaver, Carl List and Werner List. The ampersand, which once connected two separate identities, has been deliberately removed in favour of a unified mark. As part of the rebrand, the group’s headquarters has also been renamed OL Haus, reconnecting the organisation to its heritage while signalling a confident evolution.
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About OL:

Founded in 1919, OL is one of Namibia’s largest privately held business enterprises. Guided by its Persona core characteristics of being “Authentic, Caring and Passionate,” OL is committed to fostering innovation, sustainability and a culture of excellence. With diverse business interests across 12 major subsidiaries, representing eight diverse sectors of the Namibian economy, OL is dedicated to creating shared value for its people, communities and stakeholders.

Our operations span fishing and aquaculture through Hangana Seafood and Hangana Abalone; fresh produce via Namibia Dairies and Hartlief meat processing and retail through our Model grocery chain. We develop and manage premier properties including Wernhil through Broll Namibia, while OL Leisure operates 6 distinguished hotels and lodges. Our renewable energy investments through OL Energy and OL Organic Energy Solutions demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, complemented by Kraatz's industrial and maritime engineering services, Mach 10's IT solutions, OL Centre's centralised services and OL BrandX's marketing, advertising and event expertise.
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About OL Haus:

OL Haus is the headquarters of the OL Group, situated on Independence Avenue in Windhoek’s CBD.

The building’s story begins in 1929, when visionary Carl List purchased the corner property. The original Carl List Haus was erected on the site in 1965 and became one of the most commanding landmarks on Independence Avenue.

A significant refurbishment undertaken by Broll Namibia between 2009 and 2010 transformed the building into two distinct entities: the Carl List Mall and Alexander Forbes House. The project expanded the total gross lettable area from 10,440m² to 12,420m², converted residential flats into A-grade office space and created a vibrant retail mall linking the courtyard to Independence Avenue. The building is supported by an 11-level parkade — the highest in Namibia.

The renaming to OL Haus reconnects the group to its founding heritage while signalling a confident new era. It reflects the same spirit of unity and pride that defines the broader OL rebrand: One OL. One Persona. One Future.