Namibian culture, people and food

Namibia is an easy country to travel in as most people speak English, which is one of the twelve official languages! But it is important to remember that only a few speak it as their mother-tongue. The most widely spoken language besides Afrikaans is Oshivambo, which is the mother-tongue of the biggest ethnical group in Namibia, the Ovambo people. There is also a group of languages that are characterized by their clicking sound. Around a quarter of a million people speak Khoekhoe, but unfortunately other click languages are spoken by much smaller groups and are at the edge of extinction.

The Namibian people have their roots in the hunting and gathering culture, and the local food also has a strong link with surviving in this harsh and dry environment, so nutrition-wise there hasn’t been many options to choose from. For agriculturalists, the common type of food is millet and sorghum; for pastoralists, it's dairy products.



The dry conditions cause vegetables not being on the table often; only in Northern Namibia is millet eaten with beans (have to admit, we did grave fresh greens from time to time). This means that among ordinary Namibians meat is highly desired and eaten as often as it is available - depending on wealth and location. This was visible especially during lunch time, when people gathered to the local Oshetu market in Katutura township and bought their small share of kapana, freshly grilled beef served with yesterday's news. 

There's usually always at least one
healthy option available
with fresh fruits!

As we don't eat meat, finding an alternative protein source was difficult in some parts of the country. Fortunately, the ethical and environmental dilemmas linked with meat production and agriculture don't apply as heavily when it comes to game meat, which we did end up eating from time to time in order to get some protein. Lack of options in nutrition has also been noticed by the government, and they have launched a program for promoting Namibian fish products and their availability as well as educating people how to cook fish - luckily its effects can be seen at the menus of most restaurants already.

One of the perks of having an awesome moustache - in addition to looking good - is that local people  easily make up a comment or two about them and that normally leads to small conversations in unexpected places, e.g. with a guy in a street barber in Katutura, a custom officer laughing at me in a friendly way or children teasing and mimicking moustache with leaves. In these small conversations and during our whole stay we have learnt that Namibian people are extremely friendly, helpful and cheerful, and polite manners (every conversation starts with How are you?) apply to everyone despite of background, culture and socio-economical status, and this is something worth embracing.