Sustjie Mbumba
Tribute
Namibia's Sustjie Mbumba champions health initiatives across the African continent, but her most intensive care unit has always been her home, where she nurtured four children through every developmental stage. We celebrate the preventative medicine of her wisdom shared over dinner, the diagnostic intuition that knows when a child needs more than physical healing, and the holistic treatment plan of her consistent presence in their lives.
Profile
Sustjie Mbumba is the former First Lady of Namibia, assuming the role in February 2024 after her husband, Nangolo Mbumba, became president. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, where she advocates for health and social initiatives across the continent. She is also actively involved in community development and leads several charitable organizations, including the Ngeno Nakamhela Foundation in Kalkfeld and Women at Work. A qualified Oral Health and Dental Therapist, Sustjie Mbumba pursued her studies in Jamaica before returning to Namibia. After the country’s independence in 1990, she joined the Ministry of Health and Social Services, where she played a crucial role in developing the National AIDS Policy Framework and implementing the National AIDS Control Programme. As a mother of four, she remains dedicated to uplifting vulnerable communities and promoting initiatives that improve public health and social well-being.