Rising like a phoenix

Mariselle Stofberg

Wilhelmine Mutorwa has used every opportunity she is given to become the best version of herself.

For Wilhelmine Mutorwa, giving up has never been an option. Like a phoenix, she continues to rise above any challenge she may encounter.

“If you fail, get back up and try again. Great accomplishments do not come from comfort zones. Young people must aspire to become forward-thinking leaders, stop being dependents and develop themselves to be job creators instead of jobseekers.”

Mutorwa hails from the Kavango Region and matriculated from Academia Secondary School. She furthered her studies at the University of Namibia (Unam) where she graduated with an honours degree in arts, specialising in public relations and sociology.

She started her career at Sanlam as an intern premium accounting officer and is currently employed as the new premium admin liaison officer at Sanlam.

“Developing a passion for communication but having to move into the insurance industry was challenging at first, but it was also extremely rewarding. My favourite quote that keeps me going daily is that when we fall, we break, we fail but then we rise, we heal, we overcome.”

In her position, Mutorwa is responsible for effective relationship building with existing pay points, resolving challenges experienced by them and providing support to the premium accountants.

“I must also ensure optimum growth, establish and maintain strong business relationships, retain client satisfaction and build strong communication between the customers, Pay Points and Sanlam Namibia,” she says.

“The insurance industry is quite challenging on its own, but for me the biggest challenge was adapting and getting to know the techniques of the industry as a whole. I am always ready to learn new things so while the move from the communication flied to the insurance industry was challenging, I took the challenge on and I am glad I did. It has truly been worthwhile for me and I enjoy my job and the company that I work for,” she says.

Her greatest love has always been family and friends. “They are my everyday inspiration and my daughter continues to inspire me every day. I draw all my strength from my daughter and she helps keep me grounded and pushes me to aspire for more.”

When it comes to her future, Mutorwa would like to grow within the corporate ladder of Sanlam, gain more knowledge and continue to learn more within the insurance industry.

“I would also like to enrol for further studies and I am considering studying something within the insurance field. I think this will help me grow within the company and remain relevant.”

Mutorwa’s greatest fear is dropping the ball on herself. “Giving up on myself before trying scares me and because of this fear, I continuously push myself to grow and keep learning as much as I can.”

If she had an opportunity to change something in the world, she would like to change the perception on how society views people with special needs.

“People need to know and understand that people with special needs are capable of achieving greatness. I would also like the world to provide better opportunities for special needs children because once this is done, we will see them flourish and grow at their full potential.”