STAFF WRITER
The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) has appointed Ainna Vilengi – Kaundu as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Her appointment came into effect from 1 January 2026, and will run for a five year tenure.
She previously served as the organisation’s acting CEO after the departure of Vivienne Katjiuongua last year.
Kaundu, a lawyer by profession, also served as executive for intellectual property services at BIPA.
Meanwhile the Namibia Kenya Chamber of Commerce ( NKCC) has welcomed the appointment.
KNCC President Elvis Mboya said they believe her tenure presents an opportunity to urgently prioritise digitisation of BIPA processes to enhance efficiency, transparency, and investor confidence.
“Currently, business registration and related approvals often take months and remain heavily paper based, a challenge frequently raised by our members seeking to invest in Namibia. We encourage a shift towards fully online business applications, instant document uploads, and seamless digital payments,” Mboya said.
He said Namibia can draw practical lessons from Kenya’s e-Citizen platform, where company registration is completed online within days, supported by integrated payment systems such as MPesa and other digital channels.
“The Chamber avails itself to facilitate knowledge exchange and technical engagement with Kenya’s ICT and digital government ecosystem to support BIPA’s modernisation agenda.
A faster, predictable, and digital BIPA will significantly improve Namibia’s ease of doing business and competitiveness as an investment destination,” Mboya said.
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