Raised by a single mother in a home filled with books, discipline, and love, Dr La-Toya Hamutenya grew up knowing the value of hard work. Her mother, an educator, ensured that La-Toya and her sister were exposed to both academics and the arts from an early age. That foundation shaped the woman the world now knows as Lioness – a medical doctor by profession and one of Namibia’s most celebrated rap artists by passion.
Though she initially leaned towards the arts, La-Toya followed her academic talents into the world of medicine, where she eventually found her calling in anti-ageing and cosmetic medicine – a space where science meets aesthetics. “Medicine keeps me alive,” she says, “and music feeds my soul.”
Her career is a balancing act of precision and passion. La-Toya doesn’t dwell on how she juggles both; she simply does. Her secret? Discipline. And when self-doubt creeps in, she returns to the mantra that has become her guide: you don’t have to choose.
Navigating two male-dominated industries has never deterred her. She’s moved well beyond the narratives that limit based on sex. But even more than that, La-Toya champions individuality beyond labels of gender or race. Her goal? To be a good example – for everyone.
Her music is rooted in love and empowerment. Each lyric, each beat, is intentional. “Music is everywhere,” she says, “and I want my music to lift people up, to make them believe in their own potential.”
One of her proudest moments came during her pregnancy. As critics doubted her ability to remain relevant, she produced what would become one of her most decorated albums. Today, her daughter watches her rehearse, dance, and perform – living proof that women can be mothers, artists, professionals, and anything they choose.
“Being Namibian is part of my brand,” La-Toya says. She wears her roots proudly, sharing her heritage wherever she goes. For her, Namibia’s small population is not a limitation but a badge of honour. “We may be small, but we are mighty.”
To young Namibians, she offers this: tailor your life to your dreams, not anyone else’s expectations. With discipline, integrity, and consistency, nothing is impossible.
Dr La-Toya Hamutenya is a woman of many talents. But more than that, she is a woman of purpose. And in everything she does, she reminds us that the sky is not the limit. It’s just the beginning.
When you meet Joyce Nghiishililwa, you don’t just hear her story – you feel it. There’s an easy warmth about her that radiates through every clip she shares, every kilometre she travels, every caption she writes. It’s not by accident that she was chosen as FlyNamibia’s very first Face of FlyNamibia back in 2022.
The Namibian Association of Differently Abled Women (NADAWO), with support from the European Union (EU), the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), officially launched its new brand identity alongside the official opening of its Peer Support Office facility at the Disability Resource Centre in the heart of Okuryangava, Katutura.
Miss Namibia has always been a beacon of elegance and grace, but in recent years, the crown has evolved into a powerful symbol of opportunity, empowerment, and economic vitality, thanks in no small part to strategic sponsorships and national support. Since 2023, Debmarine Namibia has proudly sponsored the pageant through Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), helping it flourish into a platform that celebrates talent and transforms lives.
In the remote village of Okakwiyu, where the wind carries the scent of tilled earth and the calls of livestock, 31-yearold Elise Amadhila is reshaping her life one crop and one animal at a time.
