Visit Namibia: People & Culture

Population

With a population density of 2.46 people per square kilometre, Namibia is the second most sparsely populated country in the world.

Of a Namibian population of approximately 2,030,000 people, black Africans constitute as much as 84%. The majority of these are Bantu descendants of the Ovambo, a culture of eight tribes inhabiting Ovamboland in northern Namibia and stretching all the way to the Angolan border.

Other constituents of the black Namibian population include the descendants of the original inhabitants of Southern Africa: the Khoisan (Nama and Bushmen) who are recognisably different in appearance from both Bantu and whites; the Tswana; and Caprivians (Lozis).

People of mixed racial origin make up 8% of Namibia's population. These are Coloureds and Basters (terms that are often thought to be pejorative, but which are actually used proudly by the people themselves). Coloureds are descendants of mixed Khoisan, white European, Malay, Bantu, South Indian and other lineage, while Basters are of Dutch and African descent.

The remaining 8% of Namibia's population are whites of Dutch, German, Portuguese, French and British ancestry. Most of these are Afrikaans speakers, though around 20,000 individuals trace their origins back to German settlers and maintain a German culture.

Despite the ethnic mix, African cultures have, for the most part, assimilated western value systems.

Most travellers visit Namibia for its admittedly amazing scenery and wildlife but there's far more to the country than that. Archaeological evidence, traditional folklore and modern cultures combine to tell a long and fascinating story - from Stone Age settlement to colonialism and independence, Namibia has many chapters to its history book.

The desert dress of the Himba

An interesting example of the Namibian cultural blend can be found in the dress of the Herero women. During the 19th century, German missionaries took offense to the immodesty of traditional Herero fashion.

At the time, this was similar to the dress of the Himba women - scantily clad bodies in leather aprons and thongs are covered in a mix of red ochre and animal fat (a style the Himba women have kept to this day).

The compromise was a Victorian dress (as worn by the missionaries' wives), with a Herero style bonnet said to mirror a cattle's horns. The Herero women were thus clothed in long sleeves, buttoned- up bodices and several layers of petticoats; an outfit appropriate for western modesty and completely impractical for life under the hot African sun.