The rise of Namibia as one of the world’s most closely watched oil and gas frontiers did not happen by accident. Long before the wave of supermajors and billion-dollar discoveries, a small group of local pioneers were working to position the country as a serious player in global energy markets. Among them, Knowledge Katti stands out for both the scale of his ambition and the lasting imprint of his work.

Today, Katti serves as Chairman and CEO of Custos Energy and as a Director at Sintana Energy – roles that place him at the center of Namibia’s ongoing exploration and investment story, including some of the country’s most significant recent offshore developments.

Ownership Before Access

Katti’s journey into energy was not conventional. He began his career at PwC (formerly Coopers & Lybrand), where he audited some of Namibia’s largest companies including Rössing Uranium. It was here that he developed a critical understanding of ownership structures – and a growing concern. Namibia’s resources were generating significant value, but that value was largely accruing to foreign shareholders rather than Namibians themselves.

That realization became a defining driver. From early on, Katti focused not simply on participation in the sector, but on ownership – arguing that Namibians needed equity stakes in their natural resources if the country was to fully benefit from its wealth.

Katti’s early efforts to enter the resources sector were met with resistance. At the time, local players were often told they needed foreign partners before they could secure licenses. Meanwhile, junior companies from markets like Canada and Australia were acquiring licenses first and raising capital afterward. Katti challenged this model, advocating for a system that would allow Namibians to lead projects from inception.

A turning point came in the mid-2000s, when he shifted focus offshore. Drawing on extensive research into the Kudu Gas Field and the broader Orange Basin, Katti presented a development vision to Namibia’s Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy and NAMCOR. His efforts resulted in the award of an offshore license adjacent to the Kudu field – an important breakthrough for indigenous participation in the upstream sector.

To finance this vision, Katti took a step few had attempted before: accessing international capital markets. By listing his company on the Toronto Stock Exchange through a reverse listing that became UNX Energy, he helped establish one of the first Namibian-led, internationally listed oil and gas companies. While early drilling campaigns did not deliver commercial success, the experience laid critical groundwork for future development.

Ownership Before Access

Equally significant was Katti’s role in shaping Namibia’s approach to resource governance. He was an early and vocal advocate for ensuring that the state – through NAMCOR – held meaningful equity stakes in oil and gas projects. This approach helped secure a substantial national position in the Kudu Gas Field and set a precedent for embedding national participation into the structure of future deals.

As the scale of offshore opportunity became clearer, Katti adapted his strategy. Rather than pursuing development alone, he focused on bringing in global partners with the technical and financial capacity to unlock Namibia’s deepwater resources. Through sustained engagement and dealmaking, he played a catalytic role in attracting companies such as Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Galp into Namibia’s offshore basin.

“Knowledge Katti’s strategy of prioritizing local ownership while deliberately attracting top-tier global partners has been truly transformative. It has unlocked significant inflows of international capital and technical expertise, fuelling a surge in exploration activity and leading to major discoveries that have firmly repositioned Namibia within the global energy landscape,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Beyond transactions and policy, Katti has also invested in Namibia’s human capital. Over the years, he has supported the education of more than 120 Namibian students, reflecting a long-standing belief that the country’s energy future must be built on local expertise as much as natural resources.

Today, as Namibia enters a new phase of development – marked by large-scale discoveries and growing investor interest – the foundations laid over the past two decades are becoming increasingly visible. The country’s emphasis on local participation, its ability to attract global partners and its expanding talent base all reflect a broader vision that has been years in the making.

Katti’s contribution lies not only in individual deals or discoveries, but in helping to shape the framework through which Namibia’s energy sector operates. In doing so, he has played a central role in ensuring that the country is not just a destination for investment, but an active participant in its own energy future.