A Namibian Himba tribe girl with her traditional jewelery - Photo by Marc Veraart
This country is so beautiful. Hunger, poverty and slavery have never eliminated the elegance of its people and their will to make progress. Majestic landscape, fantastic wild and diversity in nature are the most charming features of its geography. Namibia, also known as the South West Africa was inhabited by the humans almost 2000 years ago and gradually the plains and central plateau were become the homeland of the native Namibians. Namibia was a German colony in the nineteenth century till the World War I and after that it was mandated to South Africa by the then League of the Nations. Namibia gained the ultimate independence from South Africa in 1990 and since then the country is slowly moving towards socio-economic development and political stability.
The geography of Namibia, officially known as the Republic of Namibia consists of dry lands having the arid territories of the Namib and the Kalahari deserts. Most of the population depends upon farming, herding cattle, mining and tourism. The demographics of Namibia are; the majority of the natives are Bantu people but Khoisan, Nama and San tribes also dwell largely in Namibia. Namibia has also White people communities mainly of Afrikaner German, British and Portuguese who make up about 6.4% of the population. Namibians mostly speak the Afrikaans, imported language from the Republic of South Africa.
When we talk about the culture of Namibia, we must understand that the heritage of the country is influenced with the ancient characteristics and colonization marks. The real clothing traditions of the Namibians are so unique in the sense that they are still far from the modernizations. Let’s understand the traditional dress of Namibia by knowing about the major ethnic groups of the country.
The Kavango people are mainly living on the riversides and depend upon agriculture and farming. A major proportion of their population is also related to fisheries.They are the earliest inhabitants of the country and their women know weaving and also prepare many types of handicrafts. They are also known for their basketry, jewelry, daggers and spear making and creating musical instruments.
The Damara people are recognized for their indigenous culture and splendid traditions. They mostly live in the hills and valleys of the north western areas of Namibia.
Tourists love to visit their lands and entertain themselves by interacting with Damara community and their natural way of dressing.
San people of Namibia are actually Bushmen who are relatively small ethnic group. They depend upon the forest vegetation and but for unknown periods they’ve followed the majority routs of the animals they used to hunt. One of the oldest ethnic populations in Namibia, San community is severely in danger of extinction.
Nama people of Namibia are the ancient dwellers of the communal properties who speak Khosian language. They are almost 5 % of the total population of Namibia and are generally stock farmers. Their traditional costumes are usually made with leather and animal skins and their women have traditional affection with customary African ornaments.
Perhaps, the Hereos inhabited the lands between the Kunene and Okavango rivers of Namibia around the seventeenth century. They are more welcoming to the imported cultures and their style of dressing was mainly influenced by the wives of German missionaries and colonialists who first came to the country in the early 1900s. The long dresses are heavy and reflect the style of the Victorian period with numerous petticoats worn to add fullness to their skirts. They are hand-sewn by the women who add their own personal style and flair.
The Himba people of Namibia pass the most isolated and conservative lives and they are too far from the modern world. Due to their harsh surroundings, the Himba have adopted a nomadic lifestyle in order to herd their cattle and goats from one grazing patch to another in a dry and endless land. Their intricate jewelry, leather clothing and red ochre skin are truly remarkable as are their beliefs and habits. Due to their traditional ways, visits to their villages and camps must be done with care and respect so as not to encroach on their privacy and way of life.
Similarly the Owambo, Tsawanas and Caprivians are other note worthy ethnic communities of Namibia who have their own traditional culture and clothing style. Many other communities in Namibia like Colored, Basters, Europeans and White people have continued the clothing traditions according to their original or predecessor cultures.
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