Agribank’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Dr Raphael Karuaihe, revealed his first 100 days plan at the helm of the Bank. Dr Karuaihe made the revelation during his first staff address on Friday, 14 January 2022.
Before detailing his plan, Dr Karuaihe noted that “I am cognisant of the harsh realities in our country, the extreme drought, flood and other calamities hurting farmers, who are our clients, and therefore necessitating urgent and timely customer service.”

For this reason, Dr Karuaihe has prioritised stakeholder engagements to be key during his first 100 days, as he wants to listen to farmers, clients, the shareholder, and other key stakeholders to understand their perspectives and expectations. “This will assist me in developing the roadmap towards the fulfillment of the institutional mandate,” he said.
Improvement of operational efficiencies is another area of focus, during the period. This is inclusive of cost containment measures, and enhancement of customer service at the Bank, ensuring that clients are served with excellence, since this has an impact on Agribank as a brand. Dr Karuaihe further singled out the plan of building on a good business model that is already established at the Bank, as another action item during his first 100 days in office. On this area, he stated that, “I must say, I found a very well-run institution, and there is no need for a crisis management, I will however strive to improve on what I found.”

The CEO also aims to promote research and development in the Bank, to ensure that data on the Bank’s impact in the country “is well analysed and dissected for efficient planning and execution purposes,” he stated. Addressing key person’s risk and staff retention are also other areas to occupy his time during the period, with the eye of ensuring business continuity.

Lastly, according to Dr Karuaihe at the end of his 100 days period in office, he will present a road map to the Board of the Bank. This will detail his plan and vision for the Bank, during his tenure as CEO.

Issued by:
Fillemon Nangonya
Public Relations Officer
For inquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communications Division
Tel.: 061 2074111 Email: info@agribank.com.na

Agribank takes pleasure to announce that Dr Raphael Karuaihe has officially commenced duty as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Agricultural Bank of Namibia, 10 January 2022. This follows his appointment by the Board of the Bank, in October 2021.

Prior to his appointment, Dr Karuaihe worked as the Head of Commodities at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa; since 2012. At the JSE, he was responsible for overseeing agricultural and non-agricultural commodities within the Capital Markets Division.

Dr Karuaihe is no stranger to financial services. Before joining the JSE, he spent many years in the financial service industry where he had advised institutional clients on investments and risk management.

Dr Karuaihe brings along a wealth of unique experience and knowledge to the chief executive position. The Board and staff of the Bank place considerable trust in him to carefully navigate the agricultural bank during the currently trying times. The Bank needs all hands on deck to mitigate challenges and risks to the agri-business environment, such as the protracted drought and the impact of Covid-19 outbreak on the agricultural sector.

Dr Karuaihe’s term coincides with the new 5-year strategic plan of the Bank, running 2022-2026, with a special focus on business preservation and growth, financial sustainability, product, and technological innovation. This is to enable the Bank, to continue delivering on its mandate of providing affordable and innovative agriculture financing solutions.

Among other qualifications, Dr Karuaihe holds a doctorate in Agricultural Economics from the Washington State University, USA, and a Master of Business Administration in Banking and Investment Management from the Maastricht School of Management, in the Netherlands.

The Board of Directors and staff welcome and wish Dr Karuaihe well in his new role. We assure him of our impartial support in the execution of his executive responsibilities. We are certain that he will take the Bank to the next trajectory.



In the picture from left to right: Dr Michael Humavindu, Board Member; Dr Raphael Karuaihe, Agribank CEO; Ms. Dagmar Honsbein, Board Vice Chairperson; and Mr. Alfred Sikopo, Board Member.

Issued by:
Dagmar Honsbein
Board Vice Chairperson
For inquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communications Division
Tel.: 061 2074111 Email: info@agribank.com.na

The Board of the Agricultural Bank of Namibia is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Raphael Karuaihe as the incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Agribank, with effect from 10 January 2022.

Dr Karuaihe is currently the Head of Commodities at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa. He has been with the JSE since 2012, where he oversees agricultural and non-agricultural commodities within the Capital Markets Division. Prior to that, Dr Karuaihe spent many years in the financial services industry where he had advised institutional clients on retirement planning, investments and risk management. He holds a doctorate in Agricultural Economics from Washington State University, USA.

The Board and staff look forward to welcoming Dr Karuaihe to our team that is destined to take Agribank to greater heights.

Dr Raphael Karuaihe – Incoming Agribank CEO

Issued by:
Dagmar Honsbein
Board Vice Chairperson
For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division
Tel.: 061 2074308/10Fax: 061 2074206
Email: info@agribank.com.na