The Executive Director of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), Prof. Nelago Indongo, has called on staff to embrace change and commit to building a high-performing organisation.
She made these remarks during the opening of the All SASSCAL Staff Retreat, held from 9 to 13 February 2026 in Swakopmund, Namibia. The retreat brought together staff from the Regional Secretariat and National Nodes in Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.
“As we begin 2026, I hope you are truly prepared to be part of this winning team,” Prof. Indongo said. “This is not a team of laziness or negativity. It is not a team that complains without offering solutions. There is no room for internal sabotage or a ‘business as usual’ mindset. This is a team of progress. A team of transformation. A team that understands that change is inevitable and chooses to embrace it.”
During the five-day retreat, staff finalised the 2026 Annual Operational Plan. They also aligned their individual performance agreements with the new plan and completed the signing of performance contracts.
Prof. Indongo informed staff that the newly revamped organisational structure has now been fully approved. All positions have been filled following an extensive recruitment process carried out over the past few months.
The 2026 Annual Operational Plan focuses on five key areas: Research Management and Infrastructure Development; Expansion, Growth and Impact; Human Capacity Development; Resource Mobilisation and Financial Sustainability; and Policy Advocacy, Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships.
The Executive Director stressed that the organisation is entering a period of real transformation.
“This is not about small adjustments or doing the same work slightly better,” she said. “It is about rethinking how we operate, how we serve and how we create impact. It may feel uncomfortable, but it is necessary.”
She encouraged staff to see transformation as an opportunity to grow professionally, learn new skills and contribute to a future-focused organisation. She also highlighted the need for digital processes, noting that the era of signing piles of printed paper should come to an end.
“Everything we do must serve the greater good of SASSCAL,” she said. “We are not here simply for a job. We are here to ensure that SASSCAL thrives and positions itself among the best.”
Prof. Indongo further urged staff to uphold the organisation’s core values of professionalism, integrity and trust in their daily work and interactions.
In addition to strategic discussions, the retreat included indoor and outdoor team-building activities. Prof. Indongo said these activities were intentional and important.
“We cannot deliver excellent results if we are not well,” she said. “We need to be fit and healthy – physically, mentally and emotionally. This retreat gave us the opportunity to reconnect, reset and strengthen our collaboration as one team.”
The retreat concluded with a renewed sense of purpose, as staff committed themselves to driving transformation and delivering impact in 2026 and beyond.
