Deputy PM and Minister of International Relations & Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (known popularly as NNN) is the favorite to become Namibia’s next president following elections due in November 2024. Her rise to the presidency will mark a break from current President Hage Geigob.
We refer to NNN as the last of the SWAPO Mohicans because she belongs to the generation of veteran leaders who were exiled in the 1960s and 1970s and returned after 1990, when Namibia gained independence from apartheid South Africa. And her background influences how we think she will govern the country.
Foreign investors should expect to face more Namibia-first and less investor-friendly policies. This will surely apply to natural resources, which will be a key election campaign issue. Smaller parties will demand nationalization, while bigger ones are content with obtaining more benefits for ordinary Namibians and minimizing corruption.
Given that NNN is all but assured to win, here are a few questions on investors’ minds:
- How do NNN’s background, personal and political connections and rise through the ruling SWAPO party influence her views of the economy and foreign investment?
- How will she balance a preference for strong state control versus FDI benefits for the people?
- How might NNN empower state-owned firms such as Namcor and Epangelo?
- Will she reintroduce stalled bills that have alarmed the business community?
- Does NNN plan to seek closer ties with China and Russia over the West?
- How will she tackle corruption?
- Who are the key players within her inner circle and who will she promote to key roles in her government?
Insights You Can Trust
Find out the answers to these questions and discover much more about NNN in our special report, which also includes sections on policy, foreign investment perspectives, the role of state-run companies and signposts to watch.
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