Young CEO living up to his mandate

Trusting his business instincts
In his approach to work, Samupofu values networking above all, and he is a firm believer in the saying: "None of us is better than all of us."
Mariud Ngula
At just 22 years of age, Sluysken Samupofu is the sole founder and chief executive officer of three financial entities.

The vibrant young entrepreneur is at the forefront of Pre-eminence Financial, Pre-eminence Insurance Broker and Pre-eminence Properties.

Samupofu never doubted his business instincts.

At the age of 17, he made N$2 000 after landing a two-year contract with the Miss Copper Festival beauty pageant for photography services. This came after his mother gifted him a Canon D1200 camera and he joined his friends in Classics Entertainment Photography.

"Getting a camera spurred my interest in landscape and individual photo shoots."



Leadership steps

Samupofu made his debut in a leadership role at school, where he was a learners’ class captain. He has since been selected to steer positions in academic structures, leading to his being part of the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso).

Nanso represents, transforms and elevates students' activism to greater heights in Namibia.

He was also Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST’s) student representative for finance last year.

At first, he was unsure about the business he wanted to venture into; he merely had a name for the business – Pre-eminence. A name that clearly states his mandate, as it means excelling above all others.

It was not until 2019, during his first academic year, that he registered his business with the Business Intellectual Property Authority.

"The lady at enquiries advised me to register a financial services business. I am forever grateful for her."



CEO responsibilities

In his approach to work, Samupofu values networking above all, and he is a firm believer in the saying, "None of us is better than all of us."

He thus keeps an ear out for any possible opportunities. He also benchmarks his business with his competitors and constantly searches for ways to be an alpha and gain the upper hand.

As Pre-eminence’s CEO, Samupofu is responsible for maintaining familiarity, knowledge and compliance with all contractual obligations.

He ensures all standards are met, and makes sure compliance leadership is competent, effective and current.

"I plan on obtaining more businesses and licences that will allow me to form a multi-operational business. I live by the words of Clive Staples Lewis, who once said you cannot change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."



School and upbringing

Samupofu said Francis Galton's pre-primary was the cornerstone of his upbringing.

He said his teachers and the principal ensured he gained the necessary knowledge for secondary school. He matriculated from Etosha Senior Secondary, where he majored in science.

"As a student of stellar recommendation, I am currently pursuing my economics degree at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. It is the building block towards achieving my dream of becoming a PhD alumnus."