Nangula Nelulu Uaandja

Nangula Nelulu Uaandja is a Namibian chartered accountant. She is the Chief Executive Director for the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB). Uaandja became Namibia's first black female chartered accountant in 1998. In 2022, she has been named one the 100 most influential African Women by Avance Media.

Education

Uaandja was born in Etomba in the Ohangwena region. From 1988 to 1992 Uaandja attended high school in Sierra Leone. Upon her return to Namibia in the early 1990s, Nangula enrolled at the University of Namibia (UNAM) to do a Bachelor of Commerce. She graduated from UNAM in 1996 and enrolled for an honours degree with the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 1997. In 1998 she completed her final chartered accounting qualifying exams.

Work

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 until December 2020, as well as that of president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia.

Uaandja was appointed Chief Executive Director of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) by president Hage Geingob. She has also been involved in non-audit work such as consulting, fraud investigation, and budgetary processes.

Nangula served in various roles on accounting and 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 and was appointed as a member of the first Public Office Bearers’ Remuneration and Benefits Committee by president Hifikepunye Pohamba from 2006 to 2009.

Achievements

Uaandja was named Namibia's Businesswoman of the Year in 2011. She has also been named one of the 100 Most Influential African Women in 2022 by Avance Media.