21 Students Earn Prestigious Allan Gray Fellowship for Critical Fields

By: David Shoombe In preparation for Namibia’s development, future leaders in business, engineering, microbiology, mathematics, and critical rare expertise are required. The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Namibia has awarded 21 Namibian first-year candidates with a fellowship to study and be mentored in upgrading their entrepreneurship, industrial and technical skills. The Foundation forms part of the Allan and Grill Gray Philanthropies operating across multiple countries worldwide to promote education access, leadership development and entrepreneurship. The Fellowship includes full financial support, leadership, and entrepreneurship programs. Speaking at the 2026 Fellowship Send-Off Ceremony, Gavin Frey, regional head of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Namibia, indicated that “By awarding 21 fully comprehensive fellowships and reaching learners in every region of Namibia, we are directly supporting national development priorities through skills development, youth employment pathways and inclusive participation in the mainstream economy.” Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, encouraged the Namibian fellows of 2026 to harness knowledge and bring the skills back to Namibia. Ballotti also encouraged the academically-gifted students to do more than excel academically, but also network, respect, and invest in entrepreneurship. “There are few parents who encourage their children to study and create their own businesses,” he noted. In supplementing academic excellence, the Foundation indicated its role in harnessing skills of entrepreneurship at the school level through the Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge. Metumu Tjimune, a project coordinator at the foundation and project lead on entrepreneurship challenges, shed light on the full impact of the program in upgrading school learners’ skills, which includes “game-structured training programs and pitching competitions.” Erickson Mbudhi, a 2026 candidate fellow who completed his Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Levels at Windhoek High School, expressed contentment about being one of the elected candidates, sharing his plans to study actuarial sciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. “It was an intensive interview, and it tests more than your academic performance, but includes leadership and the ability to think critically,” stated Mbudhi. Alazinia Ihemba from Delta Secondary School Windhoek, who was one of the top performers among the selected candidates, stated her readiness for the challenge ahead as she equally plans to study actuarial sciences at Stellenbosch University.