Biography: Basilia Shivute

Basilia Shivute is a dynamic, determined, and goal-orientated woman. She was born and raised in a small village north of Etosha National Park in Namibia, where she attended primary school while practicing traditional subsistence agriculture. After attending secondary school just outside Namibia’s capital of Windhoek, Basilia received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Namibia in 2003, and a Master’s degree in Biodiversity Management and Research through the University of Namibia and Humboldt University in Berlin in 2008. She also obtained an MBA from the African School of Leadership (School of Wildlife and Conservation, and School of Business) in 2021. She is part of the Women Environment Africa cohort for 2023.

Basilia worked at Wilderness from 2003 to 2009, and over the past 20 years has accumulated extensive hands-on experience across diverse fields, including community-based conservation, sustainable tourism, local economic development, environmental awareness, and education.  She also has gained expertise in project design, monitoring and evaluation through various employment positions, including Wilderness as well as a regional consultancy firm and highly reputable field-based conservation NGO.

Over the past 10 years, Basilia has grown into a leadership position with a community-based NGO in the north-west Kunene Region of Namibia. As Senior Operations Manager, she oversees a team providing support to about 30 community-based organisations. As a conservation professional, Basilia has come to realise and learn that conservation and environmental issues are very complex. Thus, conventional approaches to problem solving will only provide a small part of the solution. What drives Basilia’s passion is contributing perspective towards innovative and unconventional ideas that advance bigger picture outcomes.

Being a leader and an African woman, Basilia is dedicated to making positive changes and showing that women can play a leading role in driving the change needed to improve conservation.