San Antonio Mayor Visits Windhoek

The City of Windhoek is honored to host His Worship Ron Nirenberg, Mayor of San Antonio, and his delegation, from 24 to 28 July 2024.

This visit marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the two cities, which was formalized with the signing of a Sister Cities Agreement in October 2016.

Windhoek is proud to be the first African city to have signed such an agreement with San Antonio. The highlight of Mayor Nirenberg’s visit will be the signing of a revised Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Windhoek and San Antonio on Friday, 26 July 2024, at 09:00.

This event underscores the ongoing collaboration between the two cities, which has included economic and trade cooperation, renewable energy exchange, training and staff development, as well as tourism and cultural exchange.

During his stay, Mayor Nirenberg and his delegation will visit several key projects in Windhoek, including the internationally acclaimed direct potable reuse plant, the new Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant operated by WINGOC, and an affordable housing project developed jointly by the City of Windhoek and the National Housing Enterprise. On 26 July 2024, Mayor Nirenberg is also scheduled to deliver a public lecture at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.

The lecture, titled “The Sustainability Agenda for Our Cities: What San Antonio is Doing to Address Current and Future Challenges,” will shed light on San Antonio’s strategies to tackle climate change. San Antonio, the seventh-largest city in the United States and one of the fastest-growing, continues to be a valuable partner for Windhoek.

This visit by Mayor Nirenberg, his first to Windhoek, builds on the foundation laid by former San Antonio Mayor, Councillor Ivy Taylor, who played a pivotal role in establishing the Windhoek-San Antonio relationship.

The City of Windhoek is delighted to welcome San Antonio Mayor, His Worship Ron Nirenberg and his delegation to the City of Windhoek. They are visiting Windhoek from 24 to 28 July 2024.

The highlight of this official visit is the signing of a revised Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Windhoek and the San Antonio Water System on Friday, 26 July 2024. During his visit, Mayor Nirenberg and his delegation will tour several key sites and projects in Windhoek, including the internationally acclaimed direct potable reuse plant, the new Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant operated by WINGOC, and the affordable housing project developed jointly by the City of Windhoek and the National Housing Enterprise.

The relationship between the two cities dates back to 2011 and was formalized by the signing of a Sister Cities Agreement in October 2016. This partnership has fostered cooperation in various areas, including economic collaboration and trade, renewable energy exchange and cooperation, training and staff development, as well as tourism and cultural exchange. Windhoek is the first city in Africa to have signed a sister cities agreement with San Antonio.

This visit marks Mayor Nirenberg’s first trip to Windhoek following the inaugural visit by former Mayor of San Antonio, Councillor Ivy Taylor, who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Windhoek-San Antonio relationship. The signing of the Sister Cities Agreement in October 2016 coincided with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on water management with the San Antonio Water System. Since its inception, a series of cooperation activities have taken place, including participation in the San Antonio Luminaria Festival in 2017, and an exchange program involving water engineers from both cities.

Additionally, a delegation from San Antonio visited Windhoek in 2023 to focus on projects related to climate change, solid waste management, community services, and sustainable energy. Mayor Nirenberg is also scheduled to deliver a public lecture at the Namibia University of Science and Technology on Friday, 26 July.

The lecture, titled “The Sustainability Agenda for Our Cities: What San Antonio is Doing to Address Current and Future Challenges,” will focus on San Antonio’s efforts to tackle both current and future challenges on climate change. San Antonio, one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, is ranked as the seventh-largest city by population. We look forward to a successful visit and continued collaboration between our two cities.