Nama traditions

The Namas are an African ethnic group spread over Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. Frances also spoke to us about certain aspects of the culture and traditions of the Nama people. One very interesting aspect relates to their marriage. If a Nama sees a girl whom he likes and wants to marry, the right thing for him to do is to inform his parents about it and they in turn approach the girl’s father. If the girl has more than one suitor, then the father will decide the matter by asking the suitors to kill an oryx. Oryx is the national animal of Namibia and with very pointed horns and even the lion is wary of attacking this animal.

The suitor who is the first to hunt down an oryx and return with its tail becomes eligible to win the girl’s hand. Here Frances stresses that it is important that as soon as the oryx is killed, its tail must be cut, if it cannot be carried away by the hunter. Else, it is possible for any other person to claim the dead oryx as his own. This tradition ensures that the girl marries a person who is a good hunter and will be able to provide food for the family.

Frances also had an interesting piece of advice for the women to keep the peace in the family-“SWEET TONGUE…..KEEP SMILING”

China in Namibia

China is said to be the next superpower of the world. Entirely believable after you see the evidence in Namibia. Every town in Namibia has a shop that reads “The China Shop”. When we queried JoJo, our tour leader on this, he told us that the proprietors of these shops are Chinese and hence the shops are called “China shop”.

The Chinese have arrived in Namibia in more ways than one. Not only are “made in China” products flooding the Namibian markets, Chinese construction companies are doing brisk business. These companies are owned by Chinese and staffed predominantly by the Chinese and are at the forefront of “Building Namibia”. China has been very generous with giving aid to Africa and in return, Jojo informs us that the African nations have agreed to allow China to send its prisoners who have been sentenced to exile to live and work in these countries. Many of them work on the various infrastructure projects being funded by the Chinese government. In fact, China has had the foresight to invest heavily in the oilfields and minefields across the African continent which will ensure an uninterrupted supply of raw materials for its economic growth.

The locals have recognized the fact that China and the Chinese are here to stay and the Chinese language courses are very popular in Namibia. Not too far away, the Chinese will probably be the new “white” people of the African continent.

Tourism infrastructure in Namibia

Namibia is a country in Africa and Africa is the Dark Continent -debt-ridden, strife-torn, disease-prone and with high mortality rates. But the infrastructure in Namibia came as a complete surprise. To begin with, Namibia has an excellent network of roads and highways. The tarred roads connecting the major towns are kept in excellent condition and while you are cruising on them, it is difficult to remember that you are in Africa. Even the gravel roads are regularly visited by the road crews. In fact “overlanding” in Namibia is a joy.

The towns en route are well equipped to handle tourists and have all that may be required by travelers. The gas stations in the towns are the focal points where you can fill gas, use the toilets, stock up on snacks and beverages at the supermarket and also grab a coffee and a quick bite at the café on the premises. Travel light and you can stock up on all you need as you go along.

The toilets are clean and come with toilet paper and flushing toilets. No wet floors and no need to screw your noses and hold your breath.

The lodges that we stayed in were all aesthetically done up with hot water in the showers. Even the one star and the two star lodges are well appointed.

Along the roads and highways, benches have been provided under the shade of trees for the travelers to catch a quick lunch. Pamphlets and booklets that are well written and well illustrated with a wealth of information on all that is to see and do in Namibia are available at airports, cafes, lodges, restaurants, hotels and shops.

Truly first class infrastructure in a third-world country.

Books and Sites for a trip to the African continent

For my trip to Cape Town and Namibia, I read a number of books and also surfed the net extensively for information. Some of the books that I have found to be extremely helpful are the Lonely Planet series, including “Africa on a Shoestring” and “Southern Africa”. These books can serve as the stepping stone for you to freeze on which countries you want to visit in the African continent, depending on your interests. Lonely Planet also has country-specific books like those covering Namibia and Botswana


The “State of Africa” by Martin Meredith is the most complete work on the African continent that I have read-it traces Africa’s history right from the time when the colonial powers divided it among themselves, then the African people’s struggle for independence and the corruption, ineptitude and greed of the African rulers which pushed the continent further into the depths of misery.

“Tropic Of Capricorn” by Simon Reeve is an account of a journey tracking the Tropic Of Capricorn around the globe. Capricorn cuts across Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar in the African continent. While tracking the Capricorn, the author has ventured into very remote areas in these countries and has talked about the social, political, conservation and humanitarian issues plaguing the region.

The “Sheltering Desert” by Henno Martin is an account by two German geologists of the two and a half years that they spent in the Namib desert during the World War II and their fight for survival in the desert landscape.

Of course, having a detailed map of the region that you are traveling to is indispensable. You feel more involved and it is more fun if you can trace your route on a map, especially if you are going on an overland tour. Bartholomew’s ‘Africa World Travel Map’ – covers the entire African continent on one map.

The internet is of course a minefield of information and must definitely be tapped for information right from the necessary vaccinations (www.cdc.gov/travel/eafrica.htm ) to the tips, travelogues, must-sees and must-dos.