Chevron has appointed a Namibian lawyer and former journalist as deputy country manager and local content manager for its Namibia operations
Mwanyengwa ‘Ndapewoshali’ Shapwanale’s journey with the US major began in January 2025 as Manager for Local Content and Vendor Assurance.
“Since then, Chevron’s leadership, spearheaded by Chevron Country Manager Beatrice Bienvenu, has been intentional about investing in my development and supporting my growth, with trainings conducted in Houston, Texas and Washington DC” she told The Energy Nexus, a Namibian trade journal linked to the Namibian International Energy Conference (NIEC).
Shapwanale got into the mainstream of Namibia’s frenzied upstream oil and gas ecosystem in 2021 when she got the job of Director of Communication and Stakeholder Relations at ReconAfrica, the Canadian minnow operating in the onshore Kavango basin in the country’s north east. She became the company’s deputy country manager shortly afterwards.
Her rapid rise at Chevron is part of a growing trend of female, often Namibian, appointments to corner offices in the country’s oil patch, a trend that has picked up since the election of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as Namibia’s first female president in March 2025.
In August 2025, SLB announced the appointment of Namibian banker Elsie Kambala as its Country Manager. In December 2025, TOTALEnergies promoted Mariam Kane-Garcia as its Country Chair, succeeding Laurent Roché.
Shapwanale said the move to Chevron was driven by: “The unique opportunity to have a career and grow my capabilities in a global organization that has been producing energy for over a century; the chance to work and learn from a dynamic global team while contributing to the growth of Namibia’s oil and gas industry; the ability to make a meaningful impact within the company. Chevron values innovation and actively incorporates diverse perspectives into decision-making, which creates an environment where contributions are respected and recognized”.
She concluded: “This promotion reflects the company’s commitment to building Namibian talent and ensuring that local professionals take up impactful leadership roles within the organization”.
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