Neshani Andreas was born in Walvis Bay, Namibia, in 1964.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts and a post-graduate diploma in education at the University of Namibia. From 1988 to 1992, Andreas taught at a rural school and was later appointed Associate Director at the US Peace Corps in Namibia.
An active campaigner for women's rights, she was a key member of the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Namibia (FAWENA), an organisation promoting women's and girls' education.
Her debut novel, The Purple Violet of Oshaantu was the first novel to be written by a Namibian author in the African Writers Series.
Andreas died in 2011.