BIPA Gets New CEO: What Kaundu’s Appointment Means for Accountants and Business Owners
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The board of the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) has appointed Ainna Vilengi Kaundu as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2026. She succeeds Vivienne Katjiuongua, whose contract was not renewed following internal challenges at the institution.
For accountants, company secretaries, and finance professionals, this leadership change has direct implications for compliance risk, client advisory work, and ease of doing business in Namibia.
Why this appointment matters to CIBA members
BIPA sits at the centre of business registration, beneficial ownership compliance, and intellectual property administration. When BIPA struggles operationally or culturally, the impact lands squarely on practitioners and their clients: delays, uncertainty, manual processes, and rising compliance frustration.
Kaundu’s appointment comes at a time when BIPA is under pressure to:
Restore internal stability and staff morale
Improve service delivery and turnaround times
Enforce compliance without crippling SMEs
Modernise outdated, manual systems.
For CIBA members advising clients daily on registrations, amendments, annual duties, and ownership disclosures, this leadership transition will influence how predictable, efficient, and fair the regulatory environment becomes.
Kaundu’s credentials: continuity with technical depth
Kaundu is not an outsider parachuted into the role. She previously served as Executive for Intellectual Property Services at BIPA and brings 18 years of management and leadership experience.
Her contribution to Namibia’s regulatory architecture includes involvement in:
The Industrial Property Act
The BIPA Act
The draft Copyright Bill.
She has also represented Namibia regionally and internationally, including as Vice-Chairperson of the ARIPO Administrative Council and in leadership roles within World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She is a trained lawyer and admitted legal practitioner.
From a governance perspective, this signals institutional continuity, with a CEO who understands both the technical framework and the practical friction points experienced by businesses and advisors.
The real test: fixing culture, systems, and compliance tension
While BIPA’s previous leadership elevated the institution’s international profile, Katjiuongua’s departure followed persistent reports of internal grievances, including allegations of bullying and deteriorating staff morale. These issues matter because poor internal culture translates directly into weak external service delivery.
Kaundu inherits an authority facing several structural challenges:
A decline in business registrations
Over 141,000 entities flagged as non-compliant with beneficial ownership requirements
Criticism for manual, paper-heavy processes unsuited to a modern economy
Ongoing tension between enforcement and SME sustainability
For CIBA members, this is a familiar problem: enforcement without system reform simply shifts the burden onto accountants and business owners.
What CIBA members should watch closely
From a professional and advisory standpoint, there are four critical indicators to monitor under Kaundu’s leadership:
Digital reform
Will BIPA finally move toward a functional, national digital portal that reduces manual submissions and follow-ups?
Proportionate enforcement
Will compliance enforcement distinguish between deliberate non-compliance and administrative failure by small businesses?
Regulatory certainty
Will guidance on beneficial ownership, deregistration risk, and penalties become clearer and more predictable?
Institutional stability
Improved staff morale and internal accountability are prerequisites for reliable external service delivery.
The bigger picture: accountants as stabilisers of the system
CIBA’s policy position is clear: regulation must deliver results, not bureaucracy. Institutions like BIPA are essential, but they must enable enterprise rather than obstruct it. When public regulators falter, accountants become the shock absorbers, translating unclear rules, calming clients, and preventing costly mistakes.
Kaundu’s appointment is therefore not just about leadership succession. It is a test case for whether Namibia can align regulation, technology, and governance in a way that supports growth, compliance, and trust — outcomes that directly affect every CIBA member’s daily work.
Watch the video below to find out more about Ms Kaundu.
Article sources: Namibian Sun, Economist
