From silence to service: Ella 'Hella' Nghifindaka returns to public life
Prepared to step into a political role
After a 12-year social media hiatus, the former talent manager reemerges as a political voice and award-winning entrepreneur.
Before her name surfaced in political conversations, before the international accolades, and long before TikTok knew her as a content creator, Ella 'Hella' Nghifindaka was already a force behind the scenes.
As the founder of Hella Investments and a prominent artist and talent manager in Namibia’s early 2010s entertainment scene, Nghifindaka helped shape the commercial success of several award-winning musicians. But then, she vanished, at least from the public eye.
For twelve years, she stepped away from social media, taking a deliberate and disciplined break from the digital world. Her absence wasn’t one of retreat, but of quiet recalibration.
“It was intentional,” she explained in an interview with tjil. “I needed to focus on building my education, my businesses, my family and myself. It wasn’t about disappearing. It was about preparing.”
That preparation has paid off as Nghifindaka was honoured with the Special Women’s Entrepreneurship Award at the 2024 Africa Economy Builders Forum and Awards in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, an accolade that reintroduced her to a new generation, many of whom only knew her through short videos and viral soundbites.
“People were surprised,” she said. “To them, I was ‘just’ a content creator. But I’ve lived many lives behind the scenes.”
Sharp business acumen
Indeed, prior to her hiatus, Nghifindaka had already established a solid professional foundation.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in public management and later an honours degree in business management from the Namibia University of Science and Technology, she launched Hella Investments, a public relations and marketing agency. She first made waves managing artists, two of whom went on to win Artist of the Year at the NAMAs in 2011 and 2012, a testament to her sharp business acumen and industry intuition.
Later, her focus shifted from entertainment to politics – not as a politician, but as a campaign consultant. Working on a strictly apolitical basis, she offered image consulting, branding, social media strategy and PR services to candidates across Namibia, travelling the country and building a deep understanding of its diverse regional dynamics.
Still, Nghifindaka kept a low profile. It wasn’t until she felt her personal goals had been fulfilled – degrees completed, businesses thriving, children nurtured – that she returned to social media. TikTok became her soft reentry point, not for validation, she explained, but for fun. And while the platform introduced her to a younger audience, her impact extended well beyond the app.
Ready to serve
Most recently, her name was submitted as one of the aspiring nominees for the Swapo Party’s regional councillor position in the Tsumeb constituency, a development she described as humbling.
“Just making it to this stage is an achievement,” she said. “I only joined day-to-day politics recently, and yet here I am, considered alongside people who have been in the political arena for years. I don’t take that lightly.”
For Nghifindaka, politics was woven into her upbringing. Raised in a politically active household, she once considered studying political science but heeded her father’s advice that “politics can be a rough field.” Instead, she pursued public management, equipping herself with knowledge in governance, economics, and policy.
That academic foundation, coupled with a decade of campaign consulting, has shaped her political worldview, one rooted in sustainability, innovation and homegrown solutions. “Namibia has relied too heavily on imports, not just of goods, but of ideas,” she noted. “It’s time we trust our own talent, our own innovation. We must build a self-reliant, knowledge-based economy.”
Looking ahead, Nghifindaka’s ambitions are clear.
She envisions serving Namibia at even higher levels, either as governor of the Ohangwena region or as an ambassador to a Lusophone country such as Angola, Brazil or Portugal.
“With my multicultural background and international experience, I know I can represent Namibia with pride and impact,” she said. “But more importantly, I’m ready to serve wherever my country needs me most.”
As the founder of Hella Investments and a prominent artist and talent manager in Namibia’s early 2010s entertainment scene, Nghifindaka helped shape the commercial success of several award-winning musicians. But then, she vanished, at least from the public eye.
For twelve years, she stepped away from social media, taking a deliberate and disciplined break from the digital world. Her absence wasn’t one of retreat, but of quiet recalibration.
“It was intentional,” she explained in an interview with tjil. “I needed to focus on building my education, my businesses, my family and myself. It wasn’t about disappearing. It was about preparing.”
That preparation has paid off as Nghifindaka was honoured with the Special Women’s Entrepreneurship Award at the 2024 Africa Economy Builders Forum and Awards in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, an accolade that reintroduced her to a new generation, many of whom only knew her through short videos and viral soundbites.
“People were surprised,” she said. “To them, I was ‘just’ a content creator. But I’ve lived many lives behind the scenes.”
Sharp business acumen
Indeed, prior to her hiatus, Nghifindaka had already established a solid professional foundation.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in public management and later an honours degree in business management from the Namibia University of Science and Technology, she launched Hella Investments, a public relations and marketing agency. She first made waves managing artists, two of whom went on to win Artist of the Year at the NAMAs in 2011 and 2012, a testament to her sharp business acumen and industry intuition.
Later, her focus shifted from entertainment to politics – not as a politician, but as a campaign consultant. Working on a strictly apolitical basis, she offered image consulting, branding, social media strategy and PR services to candidates across Namibia, travelling the country and building a deep understanding of its diverse regional dynamics.
Still, Nghifindaka kept a low profile. It wasn’t until she felt her personal goals had been fulfilled – degrees completed, businesses thriving, children nurtured – that she returned to social media. TikTok became her soft reentry point, not for validation, she explained, but for fun. And while the platform introduced her to a younger audience, her impact extended well beyond the app.
Ready to serve
Most recently, her name was submitted as one of the aspiring nominees for the Swapo Party’s regional councillor position in the Tsumeb constituency, a development she described as humbling.
“Just making it to this stage is an achievement,” she said. “I only joined day-to-day politics recently, and yet here I am, considered alongside people who have been in the political arena for years. I don’t take that lightly.”
For Nghifindaka, politics was woven into her upbringing. Raised in a politically active household, she once considered studying political science but heeded her father’s advice that “politics can be a rough field.” Instead, she pursued public management, equipping herself with knowledge in governance, economics, and policy.
That academic foundation, coupled with a decade of campaign consulting, has shaped her political worldview, one rooted in sustainability, innovation and homegrown solutions. “Namibia has relied too heavily on imports, not just of goods, but of ideas,” she noted. “It’s time we trust our own talent, our own innovation. We must build a self-reliant, knowledge-based economy.”
Looking ahead, Nghifindaka’s ambitions are clear.
She envisions serving Namibia at even higher levels, either as governor of the Ohangwena region or as an ambassador to a Lusophone country such as Angola, Brazil or Portugal.
“With my multicultural background and international experience, I know I can represent Namibia with pride and impact,” she said. “But more importantly, I’m ready to serve wherever my country needs me most.”
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