Building health systems across borders: The journey of Teopolina Namandje

At the age of 26, I headed the Ministry of Trade and Industry regional office in a rural Namibian town, Gobabis, a choice rooted in my belief that meaningful leadership develops from the ground up. In that role, I learned to navigate through resource constraints, build trust with communities and innovate with limited tools. The grassroots exposure shaped my leadership ethos, grounded in empathy, practicality and a deep understanding of the realities facing communities. These qualities continue to guide my approach to policymaking.  

My academic journey later landed me at Stellenbosch Business School, where I pursued an MPhil in Development Finance. The programme equipped me with a strong foundation in policy design, institutional reform and the formulation and implementation of development policies tailored to Africa’s needs - the first of such bespoke programmes on the African continent.  Combined with my grassroots leadership experience, this academic training paved the way for several global recognitions, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship (USA), Africa Infrastructure Fellowship Program (France), Chevening Scholarship (UK), the ODI Global Fellowship (UK) in Sierra Leone.  

My MPhil research, Health Foreign Aid and Health Outcomes in Namibia, prepared me for what would become one of the most defining chapters of my professional career: serving as an ODI Global Fellow in the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone. Working within Sierra Leone’s health sector has been both humbling and transformative. The sector is rich with ambition, resilience and potential, yet presents complex challenges. I have witnessed the realities of development cooperation - numerous development partners and international NGOs contributing valuable support but also a high degree of resource fragmentation and gaps in monitoring and evaluation systems. My work ranges from supporting policy reforms, strategy and plan development and various health programmes aimed at improving health outcomes. These tasks remind me that development finance is not just about figures; it’s the people, governance systems and the partnerships to translate policies into impact. The biggest challenge is how women particularly in rural communities, who carry the primary responsibility for children’s wellbeing and household health face greater barriers in accessing healthcare, a reality that fuels my drive to deepen impact by shaping inclusive policies and strategies to transform rural communities. 

A defining milestone has been contributing to the drafting of the Sierra Leone’s Health Sector Strategic Plan 2026-2030, an inclusive, country-led process to align the health priorities with Agenda 2030 where I’m tasked to document the entire process. I will be translating this experience into a policy paper with all lessons learned for publication as I round up my fellowship at Ministry of Health. 

Another exciting chapter toward the sphere of global health policy has begun. I have been selected as a Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI), School of Transnational Governance, Florence Italy where my research project will focus on EU-Africa Health Partnerships:Global Gateway to boost investment in global health, health systems strengthening, vaccines production and pandemic preparedness. At EUI, I will be gaining deeper insights into EU policymaking and developing policy recommendations how partnerships between EU and Africa can evolve toward greater co-ownership and that African nations finance and govern their own health systems in line with the newly launched Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda by Africa CDC.  

Looking back from the dusty small town of Gobabis, Namibia, where my career began and led me to the beautiful Stellenbosch business school campus in Bellville, Cape Town to the bright corridors of Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health have been one of my biggest growth and learning.   

Looking forward to my next adventure at the European University Institute in Italy, I aspire to  leverage the skills and experience I’ll gain to serve at the continental level to help strengthen health sovereignty, transnational governance and partnerships between Africa and the global community. On a lighter note, I summited Mount Kilimanjaro early this year, demonstrating resilience and determination I bring to any leadership task assigned to me. 

SBS alum Teopolina Namandje