The new Governor of the Bank of Namibia, Johannes !Gawaxab believes the central bank’s mandate is not just to deliver on traditional roles such as monetary policy and financial stability, but is also about delivering on an economy that provides prosperity to the country. !Gawaxab assumed his new role as head of the central bank as well as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the bank on 1 June 2020 following his appointment by President Hage Geingob in April this year. !Gawaxab is the third Namibian governor of the Bank of Namibia since it was founded in July 1990.  

“I aim to look at how best do we complement the collaborations between the monetary policy and fiscal policy authorities to bring economic prosperity to Namibia”, said !Gawaxab, who is well-known as a business strategist and renowned thought leader and brings with him a wealth of experience spanning decades in financial services in Namibia and Africa. 

Prior to his appointment as governor of the central bank, he served as chief executive officer of Eos Capital, a Namibian Private Equity firm, from its founding in April 2015. Previously, !Gawaxab worked as a senior executive in financial services, spanning banking, investments, insurance, property, and casualty, primarily in southern, west and east Africa as well as in Europe. His high-profile careers spans senior leadership positions in business and society, including Chairperson of the Boards of Old Mutual Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana and Malawi; Chairperson of Rossing Uranium Limited; Chairman of Namcor; and Chairperson of the Social Security Commission. 

!Gawaxab is no stranger to macroeconomics and the operations of the central bank and possesses an intimate knowledge of the structure of the Namibian economy, having most recently served as Chairperson of the High-Level Panel on the Namibian Economy (HLPNE) constituted by President Geingob. In this role, he was instrumental in steering the panel to solicit evidence-based recommendations, strategies and interventions thought effective in reviving and accelerating inclusive economic growth and employment creation through private-sector-led investment. 

!Gawaxab holds various academic qualifications that include a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) and Master of Business Leadership, from the University of South Africa; Master of Arts from the Graduate Business School, Kingston; a Certificate in Global Leadership from the London School of Business and has attended an Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. 
He also brings to his role an outstanding breadth of experience and expertise and has been described as superbly equipped to navigate the central bank during these tumultuous times when all hands are required to be on deck to fight the fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic, provide the necessary impetus for a return to economic growth and promote the economic and financial welfare of Namibia for years to come. 
– ebrandt@nepc.com.na