Board of Directors

Managing Director Elzine is an accomplished and experienced partnerships leader with a 15-year strong track record of scoping and delivering large transformational projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. She has extensive experience in the financial services and oil and gas sectors, bringing a professional background in strategy and transformation from work within Africa and Europe.
Elzine is also the founder of Impact Tank – Namibia’s first social impact venture builder, working in the impact investing sector since 2019.

Non-executive Director Ismael is an expert in the areas of banking and SME financing, having over 27 years of experience in the commercial banking industry, development banking as well as SME development. His professional career includes extensive tenure at Standard Bank Namibia, Namibia Development Corporation (NDC), Consumer Credit Namibia, a division of Nedbank Limited, Namibia National Reinsurance Corporation Ltd (NamibRe), the Institute of Bankers in Namibia (IOB Namibia) and Old Mutual Finance Namibia.

Independent Non-executive Director Irvin was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of Namibia in April 2003 and joined Koep & Partners in January 2004. He is the head of the Firm’s commercial department. Irvin concentrates on oil and gas law, both upstream and downstream, and undertakes due diligences in the acquisitions of interests in petroleum licences. He has advised multinationals, supermajors and mid-size multinational oil companies, and has successfully negotiated on their behalf with the Government of the Republic of Namibia regarding oil and gas concessions. He attends to the drawing of corporate and commercial contracts related to this. Through his focus on banking and finance, he advises domestic and international banks on general banking business, commercial property finance, derivatives, debt capital markets, bilateral and syndicated facilities, structured finance products, project finance and development, restructuring, and the establishment and administration of special purpose security companies (SPVs) in project financing and the restructuring of existing financing. Irvin also advises on Public Private Partnerships and Public Procurement and attends to due diligence investigations and the drafting of legal reports and related commercial agreements with respect to deliverables under related requests for proposals or expressions of interest.

Independent Non-executive Director Maano Naamejo Nepembe is a finance and development finance expert with extensive experience in financial markets, economic research, and development finance. She served in key roles at the Bank of Namibia and the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) for over 18 years. Currently, she is the Manager for Research and Product Development at DBN, where she oversees economic sector analysis, product innovation, and development impact assessment. Previously, she worked as the Senior Economist: Money and Capital Markets at the Bank of Namibia, leading government securities issuances, debt management, and market intelligence. Ms. Nepembe holds an LLB from the University of South Africa, a Master’s in Commerce from Stellenbosch University, and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Namibia. She is a registered candidate legal practitioner and has specialized training in climate finance, impact investment, and development finance.

Independent Non-executive Director Alex is the current Statistician-General since 01 April 2016 and was the SADC Statistics Committee Chairperson from August 2018 to August 2019. He joined the Namibian Statistics Agency (NSA) from the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) where he worked as the Chief Commercial Officer for close to 5 years.
Alex is also a philanthropist who is a Founder member and Chairperson of the Donkerhoek Social Club, a charity organisation that was established in 2015 to assist the elders of Donkerhoek, Katutura. He holds an MBA and Master of Statistics degrees obtained from The Regent Business School (Republic of South Africa) and The University of New South Wales (Australia).

Allegrow Director

Marquerese Requel Sauls is a Chartered Accountant CA (NAM) and Senior Internal Auditor with experience across internal audit, external audit, treasury operations, financial reporting, risk management and regulatory compliance. She is currently a Senior Internal Auditor at the Bank of Namibia, where she performs risk-based audit engagements and provides advisory support to business units on governance, controls, risk management and process improvement.

In her current role, Requel contributes to business process reviews, audit planning and execution, audit reporting, stakeholder engagement and the use of data analytics to strengthen audit insights and support informed decision-making. Her advisory work enables business units to identify control gaps, enhance operational effectiveness and strengthen compliance with internal policies and regulatory expectations.

Requel completed her professional audit training through the Public Accountants and Auditors Board and has gained broad assurance experience across financial services, public entities, property, retirement funds and corporate clients. Her technical expertise includes IFRS and IAS compliance, IFRS 9 expected credit loss assessments, audit planning and execution, financial statement review, stakeholder engagement and governance reporting.

Before rejoining the Bank of Namibia in internal audit, Requel served as Assistant Audit Manager and Senior Auditor at Grand Namibia Chartered Accountants, where she led complex audit engagements and worked with clients across diverse industries. She also previously held the role of Treasury Operations Officer at the Bank of Namibia, giving her practical exposure to treasury settlements, securities transactions, government inflows and outflows, and financial reconciliations.

Requel holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from Rhodes University and a Bachelor Degree in Accountancy from the Namibia University of Science and Technology. She is a registered member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Namibia and has completed additional training in data analytics through the University of Cape Town.

Known for her analytical ability, professional judgement, accountability and collaborative approach, Requel is passionate about strengthening governance, improving audit effectiveness and using data-driven insights to support sound financial, operational and strategic decision-making.

Investment Committee Member

Mildy is the Managing Director of ONIX Business Solutions for the past 10 years. She holds an MBA from the University of Edinburgh and has sat on the boards of financial services, manufacturing, and technology companies. She is also a Trustee of the Crayton Foundation. Mildy has extensive experience in financial management and business development, particularly within the technology sector.

Independent Non-executive Director Emmanuel has several years of banking and finance experience after having served in senior and executive positions at commercial banks and development finance institutions. His areas of competency and interest include strategy, investments, and project appraisal; banking regulations and prudential standards; and credit risk management. He holds an MBL degree from the Unisa School of Business Leadership, an Honours Degree in Finance and Investments, a Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management, and a B. Comm (Unam).
He has exposure to modern governance and leadership practices and currently serves as chair of an SOE-owned commercial entity. In 2022, he was appointed to the Land Reform Advisory Commission (LRAC) where he oversees the Land Allocation and Development Fund (LADF) sub-committee. Emmanuel currently holds the position of Executive Credit at Agribank Namibia since 2018.

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ruusa Shipiki holds a BA Law Degree from the University of the Western Cape, an LLB from the University of Natal (Durban) and an International Executive Leadership Development Program from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Ms. Shipiki brings more than 25 years of Corporate Law and Corporate Governance experience across both the Private and Public sectors encompassing both regulatory and governmental realms. Ruusa has served on Community-Based and Non-Governmental Organizations such as the Red Cross and Namibia Networks of Aids Service Organizations (Nanaso).

In the Private Sector, Ruusa served on the Board of NAMPORT as Deputy Chairperson, Egling Brown & Hammer, Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) where she was Chairperson of the Social, Environment and Corporate Responsibility Committee and recently as Lead Independent Director for First Capital Treasury Solution.

Currently, Ms. Shipiki is the Executive: Corporate Governance at the Namibia Statistics Agency where she is responsible for guiding and advising the Board and Management on good Corporate Governance practices, Risk Management and Compliance among others.

Some of the courses and interest close to Ruusa’s heart is nature conservation, community upliftment, mentoring and coaching young professionals, digitalization and innovations.

Independent Non-executive Director Sam has experience in private equity, investment banking, and strategy consulting. Prior to joining Gateway, he worked at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), involved in the execution, portfolio management and origination of PE transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Before ECP, he was in Rand Merchant Bank’s Corporate Finance team, executing M&A and equity capital market transactions for private equity and mining clients. Sam started his career at Bain & Company, working on private equity due diligence and strategy cases for international clients. He has an MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School (selected as the Oxford Dean’s Scholar) and a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance (Hons) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Director

Valeria Mbango is a results-driven executive with extensive experience at the intersection of financial services, engineering, innovation, and digital transformation. She holds a BEng in Industrial Engineering from Stellenbosch University, an MEng in Project Management from the University of Pretoria, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies (Strategic Foresight) from Stellenbosch University Business School (USB).

With a proven track record in shaping organisational strategy and leading large-scale initiatives, Valeria brings expertise in digital transformation, process optimisation, systems thinking, governance, and risk management. She has successfully driven transformative programmes across payments, innovation, digital transformation, and operational modernisation, embedding robust governance, compliance, and risk frameworks throughout.

Valeria has extensive experience driving organisational change, improving operational efficiency, and delivering measurable business outcomes through process re-engineering, automation, and effective team leadership. She has served on management and executive committees, as well as boards, providing strategic oversight, financial governance, and risk management across diverse sectors.

Independent Non-executive Director Anna Ndamonako Kankondi is a Namibian business professional with more than two decades of experience in stakeholder relations, procurement, and corporate administration across the fast-moving consumer goods, agriculture, and hospitality value chains. She currently serves as Group Manager: Stakeholder Relations at the Ohlthaver and List Group of Companies, where she is responsible for shaping and managing strategic relationships with key industry bodies, government, and business partners to support sustainable growth and corporate reputation. Her earlier career includes progressive roles at Namibia Breweries Limited and Namibia Dairies Limited, where she built deep expertise in sourcing, contract negotiation, supplier management, and process optimisation within complex supply chains.
Over the course of her career, Anna has played an active role in corporate governance and industry advocacy. She is a long serving trustee of the Ohlthaver and List Retirement Fund and serves on the boards of the Hospitality Association of Namibia and the Agri Chamber of Namibia, where she contributes to sector wide dialogue on competitiveness, regulation, and sustainable development. Her exposure to both operational management and board level structures enables her to bridge strategic intent with practical implementation in multi-stakeholder environments.
Academically, Anna holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Namibia and an Honours degree in Bachelor of Commerce Business Management from the University of South Africa. She has further strengthened her managerial capabilities through the Management Development Programme at Stellenbosch University and professional procurement training, including Level 5 of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS), supported by additional certifications in contract management, legal aspects of purchasing, supervisory development, and advanced Microsoft Excel and SAP materials management.

Director

Gavin Frey is a seasoned financial services executive with over fifteen years of progressive leadership experience spanning audit and taxation, alternative asset management, investment banking, and impact investing across Southern Africa. A Chartered Accountant — CA (SA) (NAM) — and holder of a Master of Business Administration from Stellenbosch University.

Gavin commenced his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he progressed from Audit Associate to Manager in Indirect Tax Services, developing deep technical expertise across both assurance and tax disciplines within the financial services sector. His audit portfolio included prominent institutions such as Standard Bank of Namibia, Bank of Namibia, and Bank Windhoek, establishing a strong foundation in financial governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

Gavin broadened his expertise into capital markets through a progression that spanned alternative asset management at Old Mutual Investment Group Namibia, where he gained fluency in private markets, real estate, and infrastructure, before advancing into investment banking at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Namibia, where he was actively involved in the origination, structuring, and execution of complex transactions. He was subsequently appointed Head of Investment Banking at Bank Windhoek, leading the division's strategic growth, business development, and transaction execution.

Since September 2021, Gavin has served as Chief Executive Officer at the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, overseeing operations across Namibia, Botswana, and Eswatini. In this capacity, he has channelled his broad financial expertise toward purpose-driven investment and entrepreneurial development — bridging commercial finance with measurable developmental impact. His work reflects a commitment to building sustainable enterprises that generate lasting economic and social value across the region.

Independent Non-executive Director

Principal: Investments

Director

Charlton August is a seasoned mineral resource professional with more than 25 years of experience in Namibia's mining and natural resources sector. He currently serves as Senior Mineral Resource Manager at Namdeb Diamond Corporation, where he has held progressively senior roles since 2000, including leading resource management for the company's Midwater operations since 2010. His earlier career includes four years as Senior Project Geologist at De Beers Marine Namibia and three years as Asset Manager: Exploration and Production at NAMCOR, giving him rare cross-sector insight spanning both the diamond and hydrocarbon industries. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Earth Sciences from the University of the Western Cape, together with postgraduate qualifications from Stellenbosch Business School, including a Master of Philosophy in Leadership Coaching.

Investment Committee Member

BComm Financial Management | HDip Taxation | Advanced Diploma VAT | Financial Planning (CFP (to be reinstated))

Chanelle Isaaks is a seasoned financial services professional with more than 15 years of experience across reward management, taxation, payroll consulting, wealth management, financial management and regulatory compliance. Her career includes roles at First National Bank Namibia, Standard Bank Namibia, BDO Chartered Accountants, Retirement Fund Solutions and PwC.

She brings a multidisciplinary perspective, combining technical knowledge in finance, tax and reward with practical experience in governance, compliance and stakeholder management. This breadth of experience enables her to assess matters with a balanced appreciation of financial sustainability, risk, people impact and long-term value creation.

Chanelle holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Management from Stellenbosch University, a Higher Diploma in Taxation and a Higher Diploma in Value-Added Tax from the University of South Africa, as well as a a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State.

She is committed to sound governance, disciplined oversight and responsible decision-making that supports sustainable growth and stakeholder value. Her professional background positions her to contribute meaningfully to strategic discussions, investment evaluation and oversight responsibilities.

Independent Non-executive Director Ryno is a recipient of a special award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry in appreciation of his visible contributions to the development and growth of the Agriculture Sector in Namibia & honoured with the highest NAU award, Agristar, for his contributions to the agriculture sector. He is devoted and passionate about Namibian agriculture, with a wealth of knowledge regarding the Namibian agricultural landscape.
Ryno is a respected leader in commercial agriculture and a full-time farmer with an Honours degree in BSc from Stellenbosch University. He sits on various boards, including the Namibia Brahman Breeders Society.

Nominations, Compliance and Conflicts Committee Member

Vicky Dan is a seasoned senior management professional with over a decade of experience in Governance, Regulatory Compliance, Anti‑Money Laundering (AML), and Risk Management. She brings deep subject‑matter expertise and a strong strategic lens to complex regulatory and operational environments.

Throughout her career, Vicky has held strategic leadership roles across multiple sectors, including retail, insurance, investment management, regulatory bodies, and banking. This cross‑sector exposure has equipped her with a well‑rounded perspective on compliance frameworks, enterprise risk, and regulatory engagement within both regulated and fast‑evolving industries.

Vicky holds multiple academic qualifications, including an Honours Degree in Business Administration, a Baccalaureus Juris (BJuris), and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Psychology. Her academic background underpins her ability to combine legal rigor, commercial insight, and effective stakeholder communication.

She is dually certified as a Compliance Practitioner and an Anti‑Money Laundering Compliance Practitioner, reflecting her commitment to professional excellence and adherence to global best‑practice standards.

Beyond her professional achievements, Vicky is a devoted mother and maintains an active lifestyle as an avid runner and cyclist, embodying discipline, resilience, and balance both personally and professionally.