Windhoek: Citizens of Namibia participated in elections to select a new leader and legislative body, with the potential for the nation to elect its first female president.
More than 1.4 million individuals, which represents about half of the population, are eligible to vote.
The current president, Nangolo Mbumba, has assumed the role as an interim leader following Hage Geingob's passing and, therefore, is not eligible to run for this election.
Who stands to win?
The Vice-President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, from the governing South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), which has ruled the country continuously since its independence in 1990, is seen as the leading candidate.
The nation is grappling with a significant challenge of youth unemployment, an issue that 72-year-old politician Nandi-Ndaitwah has pledged to address, in addition to investing in renewable energy, farming, and infrastructure.
Support for SWAPO has decreased from nearly 87% in the 2014 presidential election to 56% in 2019.
Another candidate for the presidency is 67-year-old Panduleni Itula, a former dentist and lawyer who ran as an independent in the 2019 presidential election, securing 29% of the vote. He is a popular option among the younger demographic.
Some political analysts believe there could be a need for a second round of voting if no candidate receives more than half of the total votes in the first round, which would occur within 60 days of announcing the first-round results, expected by Saturday.
The voting process started at 7 a.m. (05:00 GMT/UTC) local time and was scheduled to conclude at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), with the results anticipated over the weekend.