Namibia, Southern Africa’s desert nation, is set to inaugurate its first female president on Friday as Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah assumes office following her electoral victory last year. Her win extends the ruling SWAPO party’s 35-year hold on power.
At 72, Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes one of the few women leaders in the region. Her inauguration will be attended by regional heads of state, including leaders from Angola and South Africa.
A veteran of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), she previously served as vice president and played a crucial role in Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Popularly known as “NNN,” she secured 58 percent of the vote in the contentious November elections, which were marred by logistical failures and delays. The opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) mounted a strong challenge but only secured 25.5 percent of the vote, highlighting continued loyalty to SWAPO despite declining support for other liberation-era parties in southern Africa.
Unemployment among the youth was a major election issue, with 44 percent of Namibians aged 18 to 34 jobless in 2023. On the eve of her inauguration, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized job creation as a top priority.
“In the next five years, we must produce at least 500,000 jobs,” she told South Africa’s SABC, estimating that the effort would require an investment of 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.67 billion, 4.3 billion euros). She identified agriculture, fishing, and the creative and sports industries as key sectors for employment growth.
Calling for national unity after the divisive elections—which the IPC unsuccessfully sought to annul in court—she urged Namibians to work together. “We can make our politics during the campaign, but once it’s over, we must build Namibia together,” she said.
On becoming Namibia’s first woman president, she remarked, “Of course, it’s a good thing that we are breaking the ceiling, we are breaking the walls.”
A conservative and the daughter of an Anglican pastor, Nandi-Ndaitwah has maintained a strict stance against abortion, which remains illegal in Namibia except under exceptional circumstances. Same-sex marriage is also prohibited.
A lifelong SWAPO member, she was exiled in Moscow during Namibia’s liberation struggle. As foreign minister from 2012 to 2024, she praised Namibia’s “good historical relations” with North Korea.
Namibia ranks among the world’s top uranium producers, supplying the radioactive metal to nuclear energy-producing countries, including France. The nation is also rich in diamonds and has ambitions to develop its natural gas and oil reserves.
Despite its vast potential for solar and wind energy, reports suggest Nandi-Ndaitwah has expressed skepticism about the sector’s viability.