Estelle Tjipuka, the epitome of hard work

Estelle Tjipuka was born and raised in the dusty coastal town of Kuisebmond by her mother, a cleaner at a local clinic, and father, who was a labourer at BP. Her parents could not always give their children what they wanted but encouraged them to take their education seriously in order to escape poverty. Despite coming from a poor background Tjipuka was determined and focused on her studies was a average A student at high school. She was nominated as Namibia’s Most Phenomenal Woman in 2014, was the founder of Namibia’s Financial Intelligence Centre and played a leading role in the drafting and promulgation of the Financial Intelligence Act of 2007. Tjipuka was the first Namibian to qualify as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), making her a specialist in financial crime. A forensic accountant by profession and local franchise owner of the South African health-food chain Kauai, Tjipuka is one of Namibia’s most successful businesswomen who is reaping the fruits of sacrificing a lot in life, including a lucrative career and salary at the Bank of Namibia (BoN) as a Director of Finance and Administration in 2013. Tjipuka is a founding member of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Forensic Services Department and is the chairperson of the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) board. Tjipuka says she had to overcome many challenges in her life, poverty being one of them, but she overcame them by always aiming for the top, working hard and remaining focused. Tjipuka attended the De Duine Secondary school in Walvis Bay, where she was a top student. She says her inspiration and motivation to succeed came from her parents, who constantly reminded her and her six siblings of the importance of education. “Education is the key to success and this kept me going and I knew the only way out of poverty was through being focused and disciplined.” Tjipuka says it took focus and discipline to resist peer pressure and avoid negative influences at school and university. Although she was one of the best students at De Duine Secondary School, including being the Dux learner in Grade 11, Tjipuka says she is no genius but spent extra hours with her books after school. “I am not a genius, I just work hard and never give up.” Tjipuka says she is committed to help reduce unemployment and has so far given jobs to 11 people. Ten more will be employed when Kauai opens its second outlet in Kleine Kuppe later this year. Tjipuka’s advice to Grade 10 and 12 learners who are preparing for the year-end examinations is that they should be determined, as determination is the key to success. “There is no destination for success, as success is a journey,” she says. WINDHOEK KENYA KAMBOWE