Namibia’s newly sworn-in president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, is set to lead a country grappling with high unemployment, inequality, and poverty. At 72 years old, she made history as Africa’s second-ever directly elected female president and Namibia’s first female head of state. In her recent interview on BBC’s Africa Daily podcast, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged the pressure that comes with her historic position. She pointed out that if her administration succeeds, it could serve as a positive example, but if any setbacks occur, some might unfairly blame her gender, as often happens in male-led administrations.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who won the 2024 election with 58% of the vote, has been a loyal member of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) for decades. Swapo, which has been in power since Namibia gained independence in 1990, was originally a liberation movement resisting apartheid. While the party has contributed to improvements in the lives of the black majority, the legacy of apartheid still lingers, particularly in wealth and land distribution. Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted land ownership as a critical issue, noting that white citizens, particularly absentee landowners, still occupy a disproportionate share of the land.
Namibia remains one of the world’s most unequal nations, with a Gini coefficient of 59.1 (according to the World Bank). Poverty is expected to stay high, and the unemployment rate rose to 36.9% in 2023. The president intends to shift the economy from relying on raw material exports to focusing on adding value to the country’s natural resources and bolstering creative industries. She also aims to adapt the education system to the changing economic landscape.
As Africa’s second female directly elected president, following Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nandi-Ndaitwah hopes her presidency will inspire more women to aspire to leadership roles. She expressed a desire to be judged based on her abilities and leadership but also sees her position as a step forward for gender equality in the continent’s political sphere.