Listening to prominent lawyer and businessman Sisa Namandje deliver the keynote address at the inaugural John Akapandi Endjala Memorial Lecture, I found myself reflecting not only on the economic realities facing black Namibians, but also on the mindset required to change those realities.
His speech was, above all, a tribute to the late John Akapandi Endjala, a businessman whose impact extended far beyond his own enterprises.
Endjala represented a generation of black entrepreneurs who understood that success carried with it a responsibility to open doors for others.
In many ways, his life embodied a principle we desperately need to revive today: ownership.
Namandje shared how Endjala personally intervened when, as a young law graduate in 2003, he was denied office space because he was viewed as a financial risk.
Endjala signed the lease in his own name, giving a young black professional an opportunity to build a career.
That single act created a ripple effect.
Today, Namandje himself employs people, mentors others and contributes to the economy.
One person’s belief in another produced benefits that multiplied far beyond the original investment.
This is the type of thinking that built communities throughout history.
For too long, black economic conversations in Namibia have focused almost exclusively on jobs.
Yet jobs alone cannot solve structural inequality. Jobs are important, but ownership creates permanence. Ownership creates wealth. Ownership creates intergenerational opportunities.
A people that owns little will always remain vulnerable.
The late Akapandi understood this. His advocacy through business organisations and his commitment to black economic empowerment were rooted in the belief that political freedom without economic participation remains incomplete.
Thirty-six years after Independence, we must ask ourselves uncomfortable questions.
How many black Namibians own productive assets?
How many own factories, farms, logistics companies, technology businesses, retail chains or industrial properties?
How many of our children are growing up seeing entrepreneurship as a realistic career path rather than merely dreaming of securing employment?
These questions are not meant to diminish the importance of public service or formal employment. They are meant to challenge us to expand our ambitions.
As entrepreneurs, we must acknowledge another truth highlighted by Namandje: one of our greatest enemies is often ourselves.
Too frequently, success within black communities becomes a source of suspicion rather than celebration. Instead of asking, “How can I learn from this person?” we sometimes ask, “Why him and not me?”
Jealousy has destroyed many partnerships.
Envy has buried many dreams.
Negative competition has prevented many black businesses from scaling.
John Akapandi apparently stood apart from this mentality. According to Namandje, he celebrated the success of others and viewed their victories as collective victories.
That is the mindset we need.
Black wealth should not be viewed as an isolated achievement. It should be viewed as community infrastructure.
When one person succeeds, opportunities are created for others. Employees are hired. Suppliers are developed. Skills are transferred. Families are uplifted.
Success should inspire multiplication, not resentment.
At the same time, we must confront another difficult reality. Many successful black professionals and entrepreneurs carry enormous financial and emotional burdens.
They support extended families, assist communities and respond to endless requests for help.
While generosity remains a virtue deeply rooted in African culture, dependence cannot become our permanent economic model.
We must gradually move from a culture of consumption to a culture of production.
Instead of asking only for assistance, we should ask how we can participate.
Instead of asking for handouts, we should ask for opportunities.
Instead of merely seeking employment, we should also seek ownership.
Most importantly, we must teach our children to think differently.
Ownership starts with mindset long before it starts with money.
It starts with believing that one can build something.
It starts with understanding delayed gratification.
It starts with financial discipline.
It starts with cooperation.
It starts with supporting black businesses without compromising quality and professionalism.
It starts with creating networks that share opportunities rather than hoarding them.
Of course, the government still has an important role to play. Namibia’s Constitution recognises the need to address historical imbalances, and policies that promote broader participation in the economy remain necessary.
But policy alone cannot replace personal responsibility.
No government can manufacture ambition.
No legislation can substitute for discipline.
No empowerment programme can replace a culture of excellence.
The future of black economic advancement will depend not only on what the government does, but also on what we choose to become.
We need more mentors.
We need more investors.
We need more partnerships.
We need more black people intentionally opening doors for other black people.
Most importantly, we need to stop believing that there is room for only one among us.
The greatest lesson I took from Sisa Namandje’s address was not merely his call for transformation. It was his reminder that transformation becomes possible when successful people deliberately create opportunities for others.
That is exactly what John Akapandi Endjala did.
He understood that ownership is not only about accumulating wealth. It is about creating platforms from which others can rise.
As black Namibians, we must begin thinking beyond survival and towards legacy.
The question should no longer be, “Who will employ us?”
The question should increasingly become, “What will we own?”
Because ownership changes communities.
Ownership changes generations.
And ultimately, ownership changes nations.
Perhaps that is the most fitting way to honour the memory of John Akapandi Endjala and to channel the message delivered by Sisa Namandje.
Not by simply admiring successful people.
But by becoming builders ourselves.
