Who is Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the woman tipped to become Namibia's first female president?

According to results released by the Electoral Commission of Namibia this month, from special early polls held for Namibia‘s foreign missions, seamen and security services, Nandi-Ndaitwah and the South West Africa People’s Organisation are the country's favourite come November 27.

It was as if she knew her future roles when she earned degrees from institutions in Zambia and the United Kingdom in Political Science and International Relations.

Being a loyal member of SWAPO from age 14, Netumbo has served in ministerial positions since the early years of Namibia's independence from South Africa in 1990 including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Environment and Tourism, and Deputy Prime Minister.

In 2017, she was elected as the Vice President of SWAPO, making her the first woman to hold this position. Her election as the party's vice president positioned her as a key figure in Namibian politics and set the stage for her presidential candidacy.

One of her notable achievements as minister is the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, which she introduced to the National Assembly in 2002. Despite facing criticism and jokes from male MPs, she successfully navigated the Bill through parliament.

Consistently advocating for gender equality, she called for a 30 percent representation of women among elected leaders, acknowledging that the 50 percent target may be unrealistic.

As a presidential candidate, Nandi-Ndaitwah has promised to address critical issues such as unemployment, particularly among the youth, and to promote economic growth. She has pledged to create more jobs and tackle the 20% unemployment rate for young people and graduates.

Her vision includes spending approximately 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.7 billion) over the next five years to create more than 500,000 jobs

Women ruling at the apex of government across the globe have taken prominence in the 21st century.

If elected on Wednesday, November 27, Nandi-Ndaitwah would join the ranks of pioneering African women leaders like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Joyce Banda of Malawi.

Despite her impressive credentials and 'juicy' campaign messages, Nandi-Ndaitwah faces significant challenges of SWAPO being ousted.

The party's dominance in Namibian politics has dwindled in recent years, partly due to allegations of corruption and economic mismanagement. The party lost its two-thirds majority in the National Assembly for the first time since 1994 during the 2019 elections.