Q&A with Indileni Nanghonga

Q: Please tell us about your current position, responsibilities, and your career background.

A: I am the manager for research and product development at Agribank, where I lead a research team responsible for generating the insights that inform agricultural finance, product development and strategic decision-making. My work sits at the intersection of economics, finance, agriculture, sustainability and public policy.

My team and I conduct market assessments, financial analysis and socio-economic impact evaluations to understand where financing gaps exist and how financial solutions can respond to the realities of Namibia’s agricultural sector. The objective is not simply to develop products, but to ensure that those products are relevant, sustainable and capable of creating measurable economic and developmental value.

My career began in economics and financial analysis at Simonis Storm Securities, where I gained experience in economic forecasting, market intelligence and investment research. I subsequently joined Agribank as a senior research and product development officer and progressed into my current management role.

That journey has taken me from analysing markets and economic conditions to designing financial solutions, leading people and contributing to institutional and national development priorities. It has reinforced my belief that good research should ultimately lead to better decisions and better outcomes for Agribank and the country at large.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in agriculture, and how did you get to where you are today?

A: My interest in agriculture developed from recognising that agriculture is not simply an economic sector; it is fundamental to Namibia’s food security, livelihoods and long-term economic resilience. Namibia faces recurring droughts, a challenging climate and significant dependence on food importation. These realities make it imperative that we strengthen domestic production, close the agricultural financing gap and create an environment in which our farmers and agribusinesses can become more productive and competitive.

Coming from an economics and financial analysis background, I saw an opportunity to contribute to agriculture from a different perspective. I became increasingly interested in how capital, data, research and innovation can be used to unlock productivity and reduce risk in the sector.

Joining Agribank provided an opportunity to translate that interest into practical solutions. It allowed me to work closer to farmers, businesses and other stakeholders and to understand that agricultural development requires more than finance. It requires the right finance, informed by data, supported by sound business decisions and aligned with the realities of the people we serve.

This has shaped my approach to product development. I believe innovation must solve real problems. Research must lead to action, and finance must ultimately create productive capacity. If we can use data and innovation to make agriculture more resilient, productive and commercially viable, we are not only supporting farmers; we are investing in Namibia’s food security and economic emancipation.

Q: What are some of the key achievements or projects you are most proud of?

A: I am particularly proud of contributing to the development of financial solutions that address real gaps in Namibia’s agricultural sector. This includes the development and roll-out of the Agri-Women, Agri-Pioneer and Biomass Financing facilities that Agribank offers.

What makes these initiatives important is their focus on inclusion, diversification and resilience. They seek to expand access to finance for groups that may not have traditional collateral, while supporting productive enterprises, climate resilience, value addition and new income opportunities. The Agri-Pioneer Scheme, for example, introduces more flexible financing approaches, including alternative forms of security such as off-take agreements and salary backed lending.

For me, the real achievement is not developing a financial product; it is creating a mechanism through which capital can reach viable businesses, unlock productive capacity and contribute to sustainable economic development. That is the role I believe development finance should play.

Q: What opportunities and challenges do you believe currently exist within Namibia's agriculture and sustainability sectors?

A: Namibia has a significant opportunity to build a more productive, diversified and climate-resilient agricultural sector by connecting finance with technology, data, sustainability and market development. We need to move beyond viewing agriculture only through traditional production models and increasingly invest in agro-processing, value addition, climate-smart agriculture, renewable and biomass opportunities, irrigation, innovation and stronger agricultural value chains. The challenge is that climate risk, limited access to concessional finance, low productivity, financial literacy gaps and market constraints continue to affect the sector. The answer is not finance alone. We need stronger collaboration between government, financial institutions, farmers, researchers and the private sector, supported by better data and disciplined investment. Development finance must therefore achieve two things simultaneously; 1) expand opportunity to underserved Namibians while 2) remaining financially sustainable enough to continue financing the next generation.

Q: What advice would you give to young Namibians who want to build successful careers or businesses in these sectors?

A: My advice to the youth is that they should remain curious, embrace continuous learning and be willing to step outside their comfort zones. Most importantly, look at agriculture not only from the perspective of challenges, but also from the perspective of opportunity and innovation. There is a potential to develop solutions that improve productivity, strengthen food security, create jobs and contribute to economic growth. Agriculture is a dynamic sector with opportunities extending far beyond farming, including finance, research, technology, product development, sustainability and agribusiness. They should see agriculture as a business and an opportunity for innovation, not only as a traditional farming enterprise.