Speaker

Hon. Pohamba Penomwenyo Shifeta

Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism
Republic of Namibia

Pohamba Shifeta is a lawyer, a Pupil Advocate, and a politician with a long history in government. He has served as Namibia's Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism for the past nine years, during which his focus has been on balancing tourism development with environmental protection. He has championed initiatives like the Conservation Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Facility to aid communities impacted by COVID-19, while also promoting tourism diversification to attract new markets. Under Shifeta's leadership, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism is currently implementing a Tourism Recovery Plan to rebuild visitor confidence and revitalize struggling businesses. Key priorities in the plan include promoting Namibia as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) destination; improving the country’s visa regime, creating and developing new tourism routes and products; working to promote and develop the film industry in collaboration with Namibia’s Film Commission and linking that to tourism and destination marketing; and working alongside the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board to develop Namibia’s national brand identity. By balancing economic development with environmental sustainability, Pohamba Shifeta is shaping the future of Namibia's tourism industry.