With 80.5% of its gender gap closed, Namibia ranks in the top 10 of the latest Global Gender Gap Report and is Africa’s best performer. The country has a remarkable share of women in both parliament and government. For the first time, a woman represents the ruling party. Could Namibia become the next African country with a female President?
Today, Namibians will elect 96 of 104 National Assembly members for a five-year term, with the remaining eight appointed by the President. They will also choose their next President. Following President Hage Geingob’s death in February, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba has acted as interim leader but is not running. A total of 15 candidates, including one woman, are competing for the presidency.
The late President Geingob, ineligible for re-election after two terms, had since 2022 endorsed Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) candidate. Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s first female Vice president, joined SWAPO in the 1960s and has served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister and National Assembly member.
Although SWAPO has ruled since Namibia’s independence, its dominance is waning. The party’s share of the presidential vote dropped from 87% in 2014 to 56% in 2019, and its parliamentary seats fell from 80% to 66%. To win, the party must counter an emboldened opposition.
Namibia is a leader in gender parity, with 50% of its National Assembly comprising women, one of only two African countries alongside Rwanda to achieve this. However, the National Council lags with just 14.3% female representation. In the cabinet, women hold 40% of the ministerial roles, exceeding the global average of 23.3%. Both the Vice president and Prime minister are women, but Namibia has yet to elect a female President.
SWAPO’s adoption of a 50% gender quota in 2013 significantly boosted women’s representation, almost doubling it from 25% to 46% in the 2014 elections. SWAPO remains the only Namibian party with such a quota.
Namibia progress in promoting women in politics is evident. With 50% women in the National Assembly and 40% in the cabinet, the country is advancing toward full gender parity. Electing its first female President would mark another milestone.
Regardless of the election outcome, these gains should not be taken for granted. The cabinet’s gender representation remains below parity, a gap the next government must address. If another party wins a parliamentary majority, women’s representation could decline as no other parties enforce gender quotas. A national gender quota set at 50% could safeguard Namibia’s achievements and ensure sustained progress.