Namibia's People

Photo by Dana Allen
19th century, as the Nama people immigrated north from South Africa and began displacing the Herero, conflict arose between
the groups and both sides suffered casualties and cattle thieving. This warfare resulted in the German government sending
the Schutztruppe (“Protective Force”) to Namibia to quell the conflicts. All land utilised by the Herero was confiscated by the
authorities and in 1920 a number of reserves (Ovitoto, Epukiro, Waterberg-East, Aminuis and Otjituuo) were created by the SWA
Administration, for exclusive use by the surviving few thousands of Herero.
Tswana People
The Tswana people are associated with the desert country of Botswana, whose name means “Land of the Tswana,” but a few
thousand Tswana also live in the neighbouring area of Namibia and Zimbabwe. About 60 percent of the Tswana profess Christianity,
but only about 18 percent are practicing Christians, of which women outnumber men at least two to one. Traditional
Tswana society included men, women, children and badimo (ancestors, the “living dead,” who have metaphysical powers).
Historically, the Tswana do not think in terms of individual rights, but of responsibilities to their family and tribe.
Himba (Ovahimba) People
In 1978, during a visit to one of the Himba villages
in remote Kaokoland by a group of international
journalists, one of them remarked, “Look
at how uncivilized and backward these people
are. It’s shocking!” His remark was translated
from English into Herero. One of the Himba present,
after a short exchange between himself and
the interpreter, responded in fluent Afrikaans,
“Our life is good. We have no fighting, no crime,
no hunger and no hatred. We are satisfied. Do
you live as well in your land?”
While the conservative Himba have tried fiercely
to stay true to their history, many of the younger
generation have begun accepting some changes, including education in the Namibian national system. Yet most of the older
generations, fearing that their children will abandon cultural traditions, still strongly encourage them to dress or undress,
according to traditional style and to live like a true Himba.
Bushman / San
The San, a small semi-nomadic ethnic group, numbering about 40,000, are more commonly known as Bushmen. They comprise
of one larger and four smaller groups. The Bushmen have lean and delicate limbs – ideal physical features for endurance running.
Relying more heavily on the gathering of roots, seeds, nuts and other edible plants than on hunting, they often go without
meat for lengthy periods. Their foraged veld food is also a crucial source of water for them. The Bushman is the only ethnic
group in Namibia which has no traditional area which they call ‘home’. For perhaps thousands of years they have followed the
migratory routes of the animals they hunted although these activities curtailed with the agricultural developments that took
place.
Nama People
Previously there was differentiation between the local Khoi peoples and those who moved into Namibia from South Africa. Today,
however, both are referred to as Nama. There are fifteen Nama tribes in Namibia, most of which are well proportioned and of
slender build. At Vaalgras, when Herero prisoners-of-war were released at the end of the hostilities in the early 1900’s, they
stayed in the area and mingled with the local Nama. Today they live like the Nama and speak the Nama language.
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