Hifikepunye Pohamba was born on 18 August 1935 in Okanghudi, then part of South West Africa, in an area then known as Ovamboland (today in the Ohangwena Region of Namibia).

He traveled to Dar es Salaam to the newly-independent Tanganyika (today part of Tanzania) where he met Sam Nujoma, later Namibia's first president, for the first time.

He returned to Namibia in 1966 with Sam Nujoma, claiming that SWAPO leaders were not banned from traveling.

From 1981 to 1982 he studied politics in the Soviet Union, and upon his return to Africa, he moved to Luanda, Angola, where SWAPO's headquarters was at that time.

[10] Pohamba was selected as SWAPO's candidate for the 2004 presidential election at an extraordinary party congress held in May 2004.

[11] In the presidential election, held on 15/16 November 2004, Pohamba won with 76.44% of the vote,[12] in what has been described as a "landslide", but also denounced as flawed by the opposition.

[14] Pohamba took office as president on 21 March 2005[15] and has since distinguished himself by careful but decisive moves against corruption.

[16][17] On 29 November 2007, Pohamba was elected as SWAPO President at a party congress; he was the only candidate to be nominated and no voting was deemed necessary.

[22] Pohamba ended his term with high approval ratings, being hailed for pushing for gender equality and increased spending on housing and education.