Namibia swears in first female president amid oil boom prospects

Nandi-Ndaitwah has been sworn in as first female president of Namibia.
Her presidency extends SWAPO's 34-year rule in Namibia.
Namibia is on the brink of becoming a major oil and gas producer with commercial production expected as early as 2029.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, has been sworn in as the first female president of Namibia, a southwestern country on the brink of an oil and gas boom. She is one of the few women leaders on the African continent.

Nandi-Ndaitwah succeeds Nangolo Mbumba, who assumed office last year following the death of Hage Geingob.

“The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said after being declared president-elect.

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According to a breakdown released by Namibia's Electoral Commission, the 72-year-old president-elect earned around 57% of legitimate votes in the presidential election.

Her inauguration comes three months after securing victory in elections that extended the South West Africa People’s Organization’s (SWAPO) more than three-decade-long hold on power.

The new president's victory will prolong SWAPO's 34-year rule, which began in 1990 when it brought Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa.

Nandi-Ndaitwah's political journey

A seasoned politician, Nandi-Ndaitwah has held several key government positions.

She previously served as the third vice president from 2024 to 2025 and was SWAPO’s first female presidential candidate in the 2024 election. In 2017, she became the first woman elected as SWAPO’s vice president.

Before ascending to the presidency, she served as Namibia’s deputy prime minister from 2015 to 2024, minister of international relations and cooperation from 2012 to 2015, and minister of environment and tourism from 2010 to 2012. She has also been a long-standing member of the National Assembly.

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One of her primary challenges will be addressing the country’s 37% unemployment rate and ensuring that the broader population benefits from Namibia’s recent hydrocarbon discoveries.

The new administration has pledged to create 500,000 jobs over the next five years and invest 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.7 billion) in key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, and renewable energy. It also aims to expand private-sector participation in national projects, according to Bloomberg.

As the world’s third-largest uranium supplier, Namibia is on the verge of becoming a major oil and gas producer. Energy companies such as Total Energies, and Shell have discovered an estimated to be 2.6 billion barrels, with commercial production expected as early as 2029.