[1] ǃGawaxab was born in what was then South West Africa, and he attended local schools for his primary and secondary education.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree obtained from the University of South Africa (UNISA), in 1989.
His third degree, a Master of Arts, was awarded by the Kingston Business School, in London, United Kingdom.
[2] Early in his career, ǃGawaxab worked as an executive of Old Mutual, the South African-based financial services conglomerate.
[4] In December 2021, Johannes !Gawaxab was reappointed to a new five year term as the Governor of the Bank of Namibia.