- Windhoek, December 18– On behalf of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB),
the Board of Directors hereby bids farewell to our founding Chief Executive Officer,
Dr. Nangula Nelulu Uaandja who will be stepping down on 31 December 2025. Dr
Uaandja has led the NIPDB throughout its formative years, leaving behind an
impactful tenure characterised by exceptional vision casting, purposeful leadership
and agile execution of the institution’s mandate. - The NIPDB was established at a time when Namibia found itself at an economic
inflection point, a moment that required agile and bold leadership to drive the
country’s economic diversification strategy and establish its relevance as an
investment destination. As the NIPDB’s first CEO, Dr Uaandja has been instrumental
in shaping the institution’s foundation, establishing the strategy, systems and
processes upon which our continued success is built. Under her leadership, the
NIPDB established itself as a centre of excellence which has become the hallmark of
its work, punctuated by consistent pursuit for innovation and anchored by a highly
capable and agile team. This is a reflection of Dr. Uaandja’s strategic foresight and
her commitment to nurture talent and empower teams to consistently service with
diligence and excellence. - Under her tenure, the NIPDB has facilitated investment promotion activities in key
markets around the world, with Namibia becoming a preferred and dynamic
investment destination. These activities were supported by the ongoing collective
efforts of the government to improve the country’s competitiveness and the ease of
doing business in Namibia leading to improved investor and private sector
confidence. As a result, over the past four years, Namibia recorded an increase in
foreign direct investment (FDI), reaching a record N$48.2 billion in 2023 which is
more than double the N$17.3 billion recorded in 2022. From 2021 to 2023, average
FDI as a percentage of GDP was 12.10% increasing to 21% in 2023 – which is
consistent with economies like Singapore. Historically, Namibia’s FDI as a
percentage of GDP was 7%.
1
- FDI Intelligence ranked Namibia first in Africa and second globally in the May 2025
Greenfield FDI Performance Index. The Index measures how effectively countries
attract greenfield FDI relative to the size of the economies. In the 2025 ranking
Namibia advanced 10 places from the previous year, securing the top position on the
continent. - From a local business development perspective, the NIPDB has been intentional in
strengthening the capacity of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises and enhancing
their potential to drive private sector activity and economic growth. Namibia’s
collective efforts to optimise its entrepreneurial ecosystem has also gained
international recognition. In the 2025 Global Start-up Ecosystem Index, Namibia’s
start-up ecosystem was ranked 85th, improving from 87th in the previous year.
Notably Windhoek recorded a significant 74% to secure 4th place in the Southern
Africa region. - Throughout her tenure, Dr. Uaandja has played a critical role in establishing and
strengthening trust-based relationships with investors and key stakeholders, ensuring
that transparency, collaboration and shared value remain central to our work. She
was instrumental in bridging the gap between the private and public sectors,
facilitating meaningful dialogue that advanced mutual priorities while contributing to
the attainment of the government’s development agenda including employment
creation. The recently concluded Namibia Public and Private Forum (NamPPF) was
a culmination of these efforts to align the Namibian business community to the
national development agenda. - Through her exemplary leadership over the past five years, Dr Uaandja has built a
strong foundation and leaves behind an institution that is strategically positioned to
continue supporting the government’s economic development and diversification
agenda. Under her guidance, the NIPDB has strengthened investor confidence in
Namibia and is now well poised to positively shape the country’s global image. - The outgoing CEO has left an indelible mark on the organisation and has developed
an Executive team well equipped to carry the work forward. Early next year the Board
will initiate a recruitment process to appoint a substantive Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) for the NIPDB in its new form. In the Interim, Ms Jessica Hauuanga will serve
as Acting CEO until the recruitment process is concluded. Ms Hauuanga has served
as the Executive: Investor Experience since 2021, and we have full confidence in Ms
Hauuanga capabilities to lead the NIPDB during this transitional phase of its growth
and wish her well in this role. We encourage all our stakeholders to extend the same
support afforded to Dr Nangula Uaandja in ensuring continuity and maintaining
investor confidence. - On behalf of the entire NIPDB team, we extend our deepest appreciation to Dr.
Uaandja for her unwavering dedication to advancing Namibia’s economic
development, for cultivating a resilient and excellence-driven team, and for
establishing an institution that will continue to diligently serve investors and the
Namibian nation at large. The Board expresses its sincere gratitude for her
exceptional and purpose driven leadership, and wishes her continued success in all
future endeavours.
