Wa lele po?
wah LEH-leh poh
Good morning (did you sleep well?)
Greeting someone in the morning in Oshikwanyama. The reply is 'Ehee'
Travel guide
Learn Namibia before you go
Red dunes above a foggy Atlantic coast, desert elephants and cheetahs, and a young nation that won its independence in 1990.
CapitalWindhoek
CurrencyNamibian dollar (NAD), divided into 100 cents and worth the same as the South African rand, which is also legal tender
Official languageEnglish, although only a few percent of Namibians speak it at home. Oshiwambo is the most common home language, and Afrikaans, Khoekhoegowab, the Kavango languages, Otjiherero, Silozi and German are also widely spoken
Drives on theLeft
Calling code+264
10 phrases to learn
In Oshiwambo (Kwanyama) and Afrikaans. Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Wa uhala po?
wah oo-HAH-lah poh
Good afternoon
Greeting someone around midday and in the afternoon
Wa tokelwa po?
wah toh-KEL-wah poh
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Nawa tuu?
NAH-wah TOO
Are you well?
Asking after someone's health after the greeting
Onawa.
oh-NAH-wah
I'm fine.
Answering 'Nawa tuu?'
Tangi unene.
TAHN-gee oo-NEH-neh
Thank you very much.
Thanking someone for help, a gift or a meal
Oikulya inyenye!
oy-KOOL-yah een-YEN-yeh
The food is very good!
Praising a meal you have been served
Omeva oku li peni?
oh-MEH-vah oh-koo lee PEH-nee
Where is the water?
Asking for water, for example to wash your hands before a meal
Kandi udite ko.
KAHN-dee oo-DEE-teh koh
I don't understand.
When you cannot follow what someone says
Kala po nawa.
KAH-lah poh NAH-wah
Stay well (goodbye).
Saying goodbye to someone who is staying while you leave
At the table
- Wash your hands before eating.
- Eat oshifima with your right hand only: pinch off a piece, shape it with your fingers and use it to scoop up the relish.
- It is rude to refuse food outright. If you cannot eat more, decline politely, for example by saying you are full because you have just eaten.
- A host who offers home-made food or drink often tastes it first in front of you, to show that it is good.
- At kapana stalls and open markets the price is often open to friendly bargaining, but in shops and restaurants prices are fixed.
Local tips
Drive on the left, and take gravel roads slowly
Traffic keeps to the left. Most roads outside towns are gravel: the UK government advises no more than 80 km/h on them, especially in the rainy season, carrying two spare tyres, and not driving outside towns at night, when wildlife and livestock wander onto the road.
Carry water and fill up often
Towns and petrol stations can be hundreds of kilometres apart. Carry plenty of drinking water and some food, fill your tank whenever you can, and have cash for small payments in the countryside, such as a tip for the petrol attendant.
Know the emergency numbers
As of 2026, the UK government lists 10111, 999 and 112 as emergency numbers in Namibia for the police, ambulance and fire service.
Check malaria advice for the north
As of 2026, TravelHealthPro lists a high malaria risk all year in the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions, and from December to April in other northern regions, including the area of Etosha. The south, Windhoek and the coast have a very low risk. See a doctor or travel clinic before you go.
Greet before anything else
Namibians greet and ask how you are before any question or business, even in a shop or on the phone. Greet older people first, and take time to shake hands.
Money: Namibian dollars and rand
The Namibian dollar and the South African rand are used side by side at the same value, and change is usually given in Namibian dollars. Outside Namibia, Namibian dollars are hard to exchange, so spend or change them before you leave.
Ask before taking photos
Always ask before photographing people, including in Himba and Herero communities. Do not photograph government buildings or security areas without permission: people have been detained for photographing the President's official residence.
Dishes to try
- Kapana: Small pieces of beef grilled on a hot metal plate over a wood fire at open-air markets, sold straight from the grill. It is dipped in a spice mix and eaten with a fresh salsa of onion, tomato and chilli, often with fat cakes. If you do not like it hot, say so.
- Oshifima (oshifima (Oshiwambo)): A stiff porridge made from mahangu (pearl millet) flour, maize meal or a mix of both, and the most important food in the north. A small piece is pinched off with the right hand, shaped with the fingers and used to scoop up meat, spinach or sauce.
- Wild spinach (omboga): Leafy greens that grow wild in the mahangu fields, cooked as a relish to eat with oshifima. The leaves are also dried to keep for the dry months.
- Mopane worms: The large caterpillars of the mopane emperor moth, picked from mopane trees after the rains, boiled in salt water and dried in the sun. They are eaten as a crunchy snack or soaked and cooked with onion, tomato and chilli to serve with porridge. They are rich in protein and sold dried at northern markets such as Oshakati's.
- Kalahari truffles (nabbas): Wild desert truffles, up to about 12 cm across, that grow just under the sand after good rains and are found by the cracks they make in the ground. They have long been gathered and eaten by the San and other peoples of the Kalahari.
- Omajowa mushrooms (omajowa (Otjiherero)): Huge white mushrooms that push up around termite mounds after heavy summer rains, mostly from January to March. The caps can grow to 40 cm across. They are sold at the roadside and fried or grilled while fresh.
- Biltong: Strips of beef or game such as kudu or oryx, cured with salt, vinegar and spices and air-dried for several days. Namibians take it, and droewors (dried sausage), on long road trips. Because it is raw meat that is cured and dried rather than cooked, pregnant women are advised to avoid it.
- Potjiekos: A stew of meat, vegetables and potatoes cooked slowly over a small fire in a three-legged cast-iron pot, the potjie. Lodges often cook one for their guests, and a host may make one for a special visit.
Cities to see
- Windhoek (capital): Christ Church and the Tintenpalast, the parliament building, The Alte Feste, the old German fort, Kapana grills in Katutura.
- Walvis Bay: The only natural deep-water harbour on the coast, Birdlife and the artificial Bird Island, Dune 7 and the salt works.
- Swakopmund: German colonial architecture, such as the Woermannhaus, Sandboarding and quad biking in the dunes, The jetty and the beach promenade.
- Lüderitz: The Felsenkirche, a rock church consecrated in 1912, The ghost town of Kolmanskop nearby, Seals, penguins and flamingos.
- Keetmanshoop: The Quiver Tree Forest nearby, Karakul sheep farming, A base for the Fish River Canyon.
- Oshakati: Its large open market, Shopping for the whole northern region, The flat oshana flood plains around it.