Making a difference each day

Rhingo Mutambo crafts and directs the corporate communications programme for the Office of the Prime Minister.
Octavia Tsibes
Gabby Tjiroze



Rhingo Mutambo is the chief public relations officer in the Office of the Prime Minister and also a former chairperson of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA)-Namibia, after having been a member since 2009.

He also holds the professional designation of chartered public relations practitioner (CPRP).

Rhingo says his role is one that enables him to make a real difference.

“This role requires me to stay ahead of my game as everyday skills need to be enhanced as part of continuous development. PR is one of the disciplines that is a blend of everything that is communication-related, from advertising to brand management, from marketing to corporate communications and from basic TV and radio production to print media journalism; so one needs to gain confidence and it also helps you acquire much-needed skills in all these and other disciplines.”

Rhingo joined the Office of the Prime Minister in 2010 and worked in various departments, including for the San Development Programme, where he toiled closely with retired politicians like Libertine Amadhila and Marco Hausiku. He also worked at the Public Service Commission, which is now the Prime Minister’s Bureau. He has over 15 years’ experience in the industry.

Education background

Rhingo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies, majoring in corporate communications, which he obtained from the University of Namibia (Unam). In 2005, he studied at the University of Helsinki’s Swedish School of Social Science, where he obtained an international masters’ programme certificate in foreign reporting and mass communications. In 2008, he underwent four months’ personal development training in India, where he obtained an elementary international certificate in graphics and web designing. He is currently pursuing his Master in Business Administration in management at the International University of Management (IUM).

PRISA experience

When asked to describe his biggest challenge and the opportunities presented while he was PRISA chairperson, he cites continuous self-improvement.

“I think l was lucky enough to have had a great team of executive committee members and at least l was a member of the PRISA for some good years before taking up the chairpersonship. With our fair share of both success and failure, l believe the best way to fail is to fail forward and not backwards, and that’s exactly what we did to keep PRISA alive in Namibia,” he said.

Rhingo believes there are number of blind spots the country is faced with, when it comes to the industry.

“There is no local PR regulatory or accreditation authority and the country is served from a regional level. In as much as this has its own benefits and has kept the flame burning, it is self-defeating in the long run. There is an increasing need for Namibia to establish a local PR institute that is affiliated to the regional body and other reputable continental and global PR bodies. This will, ipso facto, contribute to improved professionalism, regulation and unity within the industry.”

Rhingo further advised young people to get ahead by planning their own training and not wait for someone to do it for them.



Fact Box

Rhingo is a print media journalist and cultural activist

He did research work in the Kunene Region and was involved with some German film productions

He is the co-founder and vice-chairperson of the newly established community radio station, KC Radio 94.3FM, based in Opuwo

He published a desktop review book on HIV/Aids, culture and sexuality among the Ovaherero and Ovahimba

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 225.29/OZ UP +1.58% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.07% | Zinc US$ 2 455.50/T UP 0% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.57/BBP UP +1.36% | Platinum US$ 909.21/OZ UP +1.60% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.85 | EUR to NAD 20.41 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 18.93 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.33 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.93 | USD to ZMW 25.01 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 74536 Up +0.85% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1528.69 Up +0.84% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12986.94 Up +0.04% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 27559.35 Down -2.36% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 225.29/OZ UP +1.58% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.07% | Zinc US$ 2 455.50/T UP 0% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.57/BBP UP +1.36% | Platinum US$ 909.21/OZ UP +1.60%