Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do custom labels for events, restaurants or special occasions?
We typically do not offer customization because it usually turns out to be less cost effective for the end consumer. Customization requires changes along the entire supply chain as well as the manufacturing process, which incurs additional costs. We make exceptions for customers with recurring orders or larger quantities where the additional costs to the end consumer can be minimized.
Can I purchase directly from you?
No, we currently do not sell products directly from our warehouse. We have long standing relationships with our distributors who can serve you all over the country. Please see our page on Availability.
Which countries do you ship to?
Currently we only ship within Namibia and occasionally to South Africa. If you would like to get our products and aren't located in Namibia, please reach out to us at info@oasis-water.com
Why do you use PET bottles instead of returnable glass?
When assessing sustainability of our products we seek to be as transparent and realistic as possible, looking at the total net impact on the environment starting at the beginning of the supply chain all the way to the end. In fact, when we started bottling mineral water in the early 1990's we used returnable glass bottles. We had to come to the conclusion that returnable glass bottles make no sense in a country like Namibia for several reasons. First, only a small fraction of sold glass bottles actually get returned. Second, the manufacturing process of glass bottles and long-distance transport is extremely energy intensive. Coupled with a low return rate, the environmental footprint quickly becomes largely negative. Thirdly, in order to actually use returnable glass bottles one has to go through a very rigorous cleaning process of the returned bottles. This requires 3 times more water per bottled liter and therefore the water waste profile is significantly worse than that of recyclable plastic. Additionally, at Omaruru Beverages we actually manufacture the PET bottles onsite using renewable energy, which means our transport cost and environmental footprint is significantly reduced. Taking all those things into consideration it quickly becomes obvious that PET is the 'better' solution for our region. But we all have to play our part, and dispose PET bottles using the appropriate channels so that it can get recycled and ultimately repurposed.
Is it sustainable at all to bottle water in a country that is notoriously dry and has very little rain?
We think the most sustainable way to consume food and beverage items is always to 'buy local'. The net environmental impact from long-distance transport when such products get imported generally is worse than when using local sources. As it relates to OASIS water specifically, we have developed a very efficient manufacturing process that minimizes the total usage of water per liter of drinking water. Additionally, since we bottle non-alcoholic beverages for human consumption, it is arguably the most efficient use of water. Water usage rates in other processes such as manufacturing of alcoholic beverages or the feeding of livestock for meat production are significantly higher per unit of nutritional value. For example, 1 Liter of cow's milk requires approximately 1000+ Liters of water and 1 KG of beef requires over 15'000 Liters of water. See reference here.