BY JEREMIAH NDJOZE

As the country celebrates the historic ascendance of its first woman president, Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, her tenacity and ultimate triumph represent a victory not only for herself, but for all Namibian women and the girl child.

This is according to the Chief Executive Officer of Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings (NPTH), Kristofine Naunyango.

“Finally, the Namibian House has a mother,” Naunyango told this writer just days before the inauguration of President Nandi-Ndaitwah. The phrase “Namibian House” was popularised by the late President Dr. Hage Geingob, reflecting the inclusive vision of his administration.
Naunyango is more than just a proponent of women’s excellence—she’s a proven and seasoned executive of gender equality in the workplace and beyond. Under her leadership, NPTH boasted a 80% female staff complement—a move that might have raised eyebrows had the company not consistently posted profits and declared substantial dividends to government.

As NPTH prepares to close its doors, it will be remembered as the only State-Owned Enterprise where the spirit of “girl power” was truly personified.

Naunyango joined NPTH in 2018 as Company Secretary before stepping into the substantive role as the CEO. She officially assumed the position on 1 October 2023, leading the holding company for MTC, Telecom Namibia, and NamPost. Prior to its dismantling, NPTH owned 123 properties across the country, placing it amongst the nation’s largest players in the property sector. With the company asset worth the value of N$ 6 billion and total group assets worth N$15.5 billion (2023 AFS). To date, NPTH declared dividends exceeding N$8.6 billion to the Ultimate Shareholder, the Government of the Republic of Namibia.

The Beginning
Born and raised in the dusty streets of Soweto, Katutura, Naunyango is the youngest of eight siblings raised by a hardworking single mother—who, to this day, still runs her own business in Windhoek’s CBD.

A qualified lawyer by proffesssion, Kristofine studied at the University of East London in England, United Kingdom. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Leadership and Change Management at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Namibia, at the Namibia Business School.

Last year, we spoke of the often-overlooked power of the eighth child. We even referenced author John Gray, who observed that God took David—the invisible eighth son of a forgotten family—and made him king. That same divine touch, it seems, also reached a certain family in Katutura and turned their “spoiled brat” into a humble, high-flying parastatal executive.

“All hail to the queen” Naunyango says, crediting her mother for her success.

“I was born and raised by a single mother in the dusty streets of Soweto, Katutura. I’m the last born among eight siblings—very spoiled, yet raised with discipline in a Christian household,” she reflects.
She also credits President Nandi-Ndaitwah for inspiring her own aspirations in leadership.

“Her leadership record is impeccable, and her resilience & humanity—especially as a mother figure—is unparalleled,” she says.

“I am also a mother, a qualified lawyer with over 15 years of executive experience in the corporate sphere and a beautiful wife to my most amazing husband. I owe it to the fact that early in life, I chose the right role models to emulate.”

Asked how she manages to balance her demanding roles at work and at home, Naunyango is clear: family comes first.
“I don’t take work home. Whatever needs to be handled in the office gets handled here. When I go home, I switch off and step into mom mode,” she explains, again attributing her discipline to her mother’s mentorship.

Women in Leadership
Naunyango believes that the election of a female president proves that barriers to women’s leadership are not due to inadequacy but rather fear and lack of support from our families and communities at large.

“It’s mostly a lack of self-confidence, insufficient support from other women and families, and the fear of being thrown into the deep end,” she explains.

She emphasizes the importance of accountability and ownership as core values in inclusive leadership—leadership that ensures all women are empowered to claim their space in executive boardrooms.

Transformational leadership, she says, is one of her proudest traits.
“I always strive to mould and help people become better versions of themselves,” she notes.

As for inclusivity, she believes that empowering and capacitating one’s team is the key to sustainable success.