Namibia is a country we wanted to visit because of the scenery and wildlife, however we knew little about the country itself.
In the late 19th century Namibia became a German colony with the exception of Walvis Bay, a deep water harbour, which was British. In 1915 South Africa, with the support of Britain, took control of the country. The struggle for independence, supported by the UN, did not come to fruition until 1990 when it became one of the last states to achieve its goal. Walvis Bay remained under the control of South Africa, given its importance, until 1994.
Modern Namibia, with its 2.5 million population, has a strong constitution and (by African standards) a liberal and honest government. Unemployment at over 30% and wealth distribution are major issues; the country is trying to use money from its mineral deposits to invest in infrastructure. Namibia has diamonds but this is becoming less important, with uranium mining now a major source of income. However “soft loans” from China have resulted in most mines becoming Chinese owned. Tourism is the third largest industry and is growing significantly, with Germans being the largest group visiting in spite of the locals speaking English to them.
The capital is Windhoek where we landed from Cape Town. It has 300,000 people, with a relic of German rule being a number of very good breweries. We stayed in a guest house along with fellow travellers at the beginning or end of their Namibian adventures. We enjoyed the Windhoek beer and a bite to eat in Joe’s Beerhouse, a local institution, also frequented by travellers sharing stories at communal tables. In the beer garden is a mini, donated by two legendary travellers who arrived in it from Durban after some epic adventures.
Shilli-Fully Travels 