Nolan Swarts joins CRAN board
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has welcomed a new member to its board of directors, Nolan Swarts.
Swarts grew up between Windhoek and Upington in South Africa’s Northern Cape. He remembers the long train trips between the two cities, which he said exposed him to different communities and ways of life.
Those experiences gave him early insight into diversity and helped him appreciate the importance of understanding people from different backgrounds.
“Those experiences exposed me to different communities and perspectives from an early age," he told Careers. "More importantly, they taught me resilience, adaptability and the value of perseverance, qualities that have shaped both my personal and professional life,” he added.
He studied law at the University of Namibia (Unam), earning both B Juris and LLB degrees. In 2009, he was admitted as a legal practitioner of the High Court of Namibia. He has also completed a senior leaders’ executive programme at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and pursued certifications in leadership, compliance and finance.
Swarts said his first goal is to understand CRAN's mandate by engaging with its people and stakeholders before making changes.
“My immediate priority is to listen, learn and gain a thorough understanding of the organisation and its operating environment."
Swarts began working as a legal practitioner before joining the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) as a legal advisor.
There, he rose to executive leadership in 2019, managing legal and licensing functions. He has also served as president of the Law Society of Namibia and chairperson of the Legal Practitioner’s Fidelity Fund and currently sits on the NamWater board.
“I would describe my leadership style as collaborative and empowering. I believe that organisations perform best when people feel valued, heard and trusted," he told Careers.
"Open communication is essential, and I encourage team members to share ideas, challenge assumptions and contribute meaningfully to decision-making processes,” he added.
His advice to young people is to focus on curiosity, building networks and embracing difficulties as opportunities for growth and improvement. “My advice is simple: stay curious, build meaningful relationships and never stop learning. The world is changing rapidly, so it is important to learn the business of tomorrow, today,” Swarts said.
