Born Tegga Shiimi in Namibia’s chief commercial hub, Windhoek, in 1975, young Teggz was hooked to the emergence of American hip-hop and rap music, which coincided with the exploits of African-American athletes’ dominance on the basketball courts in the United States of America (USA).

Though he played street football with his mates from the Donkerhoek location, Tegzz was bitten by the Basketball bug during his lodging at St. Paul’s High School. He carved himself a permanent spot in the school’s Basketball team, becoming a valuable squad member.

But where did the interest come from? “I was actually encouraged and inspired by my brothers, who happened to have gone to the United States for studies. Luckily, our school had a formidable basketball team participating fiercely in competitive structures, as we had around about 35 teams from various schools,” he said.

Upon completing grade 12, the ‘Black Bullet’ enrolled at the University of Namibia (Unam), reading towards a degree in accounting. He teamed up with fellow students Jerome Kisting, Namene Kalili, Imms Mulunga, Wolfgang, and the de Klerk brothers, Llewellyn and Winslow, to form the Unam Running Rebels Basketball team.

Apart from playing, Tegzz was installed as the public relations officer of the fast-emerging Namibian Basketball Federation (NBF) under the stewardship of local Basketball guru Charles Nyambe.

“Well, from outside, people think playing basketball is a walk in the park – but in reality, it requires lots of stamina, concentration, focus, and many other aspects because one simple error could result in a catastrophic counterattack against your team,” he said.

Despite his fairly limited height and small stature, Bro Teggz was a mean shooter, rattling the hoops at will as if the art of points-scoring was going out of fashion.

The fearless shooter played a pivotal role when the Polytech combined team won a gold medal at the Confederation of University and College Sports Associations (CUCSA) multi-sport games in Walvis Bay in 1995. The hosts defeated regional powerhouses Angola and Zimbabwe en route to their historic triumph.

“We were very lucky and fortunate to have a guy like Charles as our mentor. Charles knew his beat – a strict disciplinarian who settled for nothing less than absolute commitment from his subjects.

“You know, as hot-blooded young men, we endured few hard knocks along the way because of ill-discipline. Charles would not tolerate any form of misbehaviour. He once sat me down and gifted me an earful, telling me straight to my face that I’ve let him down as the designated leader of the group”.

With age gradually catching up with his physical strengths, complicated by a heavy workload, Tegzz called it quits from playing competitive basketball but still rattles the hoops at his makeshift goalpost hoops, stylishly mounted on the outside wall of his modest residence in Eros.  

“Truthfully, Charles was a fantastic guy – a perfectionist, honest and great mentor. His work ethic was unparalleled. His mentorship changed my outlook at life, ultimately shaping me to become the person I am now.

A steadfast believer in ethical behaviour, Bro Teggz is the proud holder of a master’s degree in public administration from the revered University of Cape Town.

Unlike many of his peers who have comfortably found refuge in the comfort of air-conditioned government buildings, Teggz went in the opposite direction.

Upon completing tertiary education, the brave boy from Donkerhoek entered what was previously unchartered territory when he took up employment in the white dominated sector of insurance with financial giants Sanlam.

He worked his way up the ranks and currently holds the plum portfolio of Sanlam Alliance chief executive.

Even though Bro Tegzz no longer plays serious competitive basketball, the brother is not entirely lost to the game.

It has taken him to many places beyond Namibian borders.

Proudly paddling on the motto ‘adept, adopt and improve’, he is very much hands on involved in the game, notably in talent identification and overall development of basketball at the grassroots level.

An unapologetically staunch Liverpool supporter, Bro Teggz is happily hitched to his childhood sweetheart, Lellanie, who bore him a pair of sons, a 21 and 27-year-old.

Apart from football and basketball, Teggz is a keen social cyclist, a regular starter in high-profile road races in the veteran category.

What keeps the brother ticking when others waver?

“My advice to young people is, stay humble, be respectful towards elders and fellow colleagues, and always remember where you came from. Humility can unlock many doors if handled with care.             

“Growing up in the township and attending school in the affluent white suburbs was another challenge on its own. My fellow blacks would often call me ‘shilumbu’ just because I schooled with larneys. On the other hand, the white boys at school pulled out all sorts of dirty tricks in the book of tricks to bully and subject me to unprovoked racial abuse because of my darkish hide,” he shared.