Gawie Kanjemba

Bio

Gawie Kanjemba is a 2026-2027 Hoover Enviropreneur Fellow at Stanford University. A legally trained energy specialist with a robust interdisciplinary profile, his work sits at the critical intersection of environmental policy, regulatory frameworks, and private capital.

At Stanford, Kanjemba’s research focuses on the commercialisation of climate adaptation strategies - specifically, developing bankable models for debushing and bush encroachment in Namibia. By aggregating complex environmental variables and structuring them for carbon credit markets, he bridges the gap between national climate mandates and aggressive commercial viability, ensuring that natural resource assets are not just legally sound, but financially bankable.

Kanjemba brings a 360-degree perspective to the energy transition, built on a track record across international organisations, government, and private equity. His experience spans shaping global energy policy at the International Energy Agency (IEA), managing investment disputes at the Energy Charter Secretariat, and driving project sourcing at the UNDP Rome Centre for Energy and Climate. On the commercial and institutional front, his background includes Oil & Gas M&A, Private Equity portfolio management, institutional building at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and project development with the Namibian Ports Authority.

Currently, Kanjemba serves as the Economic Advisor for Climate Change for the Republic of Namibia under the NDC Partnership (turning national environmental aspirations into an actionable, bankable pipeline) while also helping to shape the "Gas for Africa" narrative through his work with Hawilti.

As the Founder of Swangeni, he operates as a commercial strategist, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise to solve complex bottlenecks, mitigate market risks, and structure investment-ready opportunities across the African energy, climate, and mining sectors. Kanjemba holds a Master’s degree in International Energy from Sciences Po Paris, a B.Juris and LLB (Hons.) from the University of Namibia, and is furthering his expertise in Resource Governance at ETH Zürich.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gawie-kanjemba-074413b/