Nangula Nelulu Uaandja

Chairperson & CEO, Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board

Bio Current as of June 21, 2023

Nangula, a Chartered Accountant by profession, is the CEO and Chairperson of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB). NIPDB, a Public Entity in the Presidency, is tasked with the mandate of promotion and facilitating foreign and domestic investments as well as promotion of the development of MSMEs.

Until December 2020, Nangula served as a Partner at PwC Namibia, with over 20 years’ experience in auditing, and has served as lead partner on audits of organizations across various sectors and industries. She has also been involved in non-audit work such as business advisory services, fraud investigation, presentations on the roles and responsibilities of directors, and a host of other related topics. 

Nangula was named Namibia’s Businesswoman of the Year in 2011. Besides playing a role on the Accounting/Auditing Professional Bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Public Accountants and Auditors Board, she also served as a member of the Tax Court Appeal. She was appointed as a member of the first Public Office Bearers’ Remuneration and Benefits Committee by the President of the Republic of Namibia from 2006 to 2009.

There are many firsts in Nangula’s life – she was the first black female Namibian to qualify as a Chartered Accountant and the first female and first black Namibian to occupy the position of PwC Managing Partner as well as that of President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia. 

Over the years, Nangula has grown a burden concerning the triple challenges of unemployment, inequality, and poverty that are currently facing Namibia. It is this burden that led her to pursue further studies (first the Master in Business Leadership and now Doctor in Business Leadership) with a focus on the collaborative role required between the public and private sectors to drive inclusive economic growth and find common solutions to these challenges. It is also this burden that led to her resignation as the CEO of PwC Namibia in December 2020 and acceptance of the President’s appointment to the role of first CEO and Chairperson of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB).