From BBC.com – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was sworn in Friday as Namibia’s first female president, stepping into leadership amid high unemployment, poverty, and deep inequality.
At 72, she becomes only Africa’s second directly elected female head of state, following Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Speaking to BBC’s Africa Daily podcast, she acknowledged the double standards she may face:
“If things go well, it will be seen as a good example. But if anything happens—like it does under male leadership—some will say: ‘Look at women!”
A lifelong member of the ruling Swapo party, Nandi-Ndaitwah joined the liberation movement at just 14. While Swapo has made progress since independence in 1990, apartheid-era inequalities in land ownership and wealth persist.
“Land is a serious problem in this country,” she said, citing that white Namibians—just 1.8% of the population—own around 70% of farmland.”
Namibia remains one of the most unequal countries globally, with unemployment rising to 36.9% in 2023. The new president emphasized the need to shift from raw mineral exports to value-added production, and to align education and creative industries with the country’s economic future.
Though proud to represent women in leadership, Nandi-Ndaitwah says she hopes to be judged on her ability—not her gender.
