Namibia People

Understanding Namibia

Many histories. A shared country.

Namibia's people belong to many communities, speak many languages and share histories that reach across present-day borders. Identity can draw on family, language, place and experience, alongside a sense of belonging to Namibia.

The names in this collection describe different kinds of identity. Some refer to a community; others bring together related communities or people associated with a region. They are starting points for understanding, rather than a complete classification of the country's people.

Read the individual articles for the distinctions within each grouping, its historical context and its place in contemporary Namibia.

Namibia in the 2023 census

Population: 3,022,401
Living in urban areas: 49.5%
Living in rural areas: 50.5%
People per km²: 3.7

Source: Namibia Statistics Agency, 2023 Population and Housing Census . These are census figures, not a current population estimate.

Communities & identities

Histories, languages and lives

Explore the articles below. Each article explores identity, history, language and contemporary life, including the distinctions within broader groupings.

Aawambo Communities

Aawambo is an umbrella identity for several communities connected by Oshiwambo language varieties and histories across north-central Namibia and southern Angola.

Kavango Communities

Kavango is a regional and cultural umbrella for distinct communities along the Kavango/Okavango River and its hinterland.

OvaHerero

OvaHerero histories connect Otjiherero, cattle, family institutions and political remembrance with the profound consequences of colonial genocide and dispossession.

Ovahimba

Ovahimba communities are associated especially with north-western Namibia and neighbouring Angola.

Damara

Damara communities have distinct histories and identities despite sharing Khoekhoegowab with Nama and Haiǁom speakers.

Nama

Nama encompasses distinct communities with histories across southern Namibia and the wider Orange River region.

Language & belonging

Language opens a conversation

Language is an important part of identity, but the two do not correspond one to one. A language may be shared by several communities, and people may use different languages at home, at school and at work.

Names such as Oshiwambo also encompass related language varieties. The language page provides a fuller introduction to Namibia's multilingual life.

Examples only; this is not a complete list.

Read about Namibia's languages

Topnaar / ≠Aonin

The ≠Aonin, commonly called Topnaar, are closely associated with the lower Kuiseb, central Namib and Walvis Bay area.

Rehoboth Basters

Rehoboth Baster identity is rooted in shared history, Afrikaans, family networks, land and institutions of self-government.

Coloured Namibians

Coloured is a self-identified community name with a particular southern African history.

Peoples of the Zambezi Region

Zambezi is an administrative region containing several distinct communities, languages and leadership histories.

San Communities

San is an umbrella term for several Indigenous communities with different languages, histories and circumstances.

BaTswana

Namibian BaTswana have their own community and land histories within a wider Setswana-speaking southern African world.

Namibians of European Descent

Namibians of European descent have varied family histories, languages and understandings of belonging.

Contemporary Namibia

Culture is lived and shaped today

Understanding a community means looking beyond a single image, custom or historical description. Contemporary lives belong in the story too.

Across towns and rural areas

The 2023 census recorded 49.5% of Namibia's population in urban areas. Cultural identity is relevant to life in towns and cities as well as to rural homes and landscapes.

Across generations

Language, food, music, dress and family practices can change as people make choices and respond to new circumstances. Individuals within a community need not share the same experiences or outlook.

In people's own words

Community names and inherited labels carry histories. Pay attention to how people describe themselves, and ask permission before taking photographs or entering spaces that are not open to the public.

People of Namibia

Many histories. A shared country.