If you’ve ever wanted to have your mind blown by an ancient tribe living in a modern-day society, then a trip to Opuwo in Northern Namibia is a must. While the city itself is not much to look at, we ventured up to Opuwo purely to meet and learn more about the Himba people living there. It was a cultural excursion that definitely didn’t disappoint, so I’m sharing a handful of my photos and a few insights for the wonderers and the wanderers out there…
Who are The Himba?
The Himba are the last remaining nomadic tribe of Namibia. They are an ancient tribe of indigenous people who now coexist with the everyday city folk. There are only a few tens of thousands of the OvaHimba (plural noun!) remaining after a history of suffering from warfare, droughts and even an attempted genocide by German colonists during the Herero Wars.
The OvaHimba have somehow managed to preserve and maintain aspects of their traditional lifestyle and survive the harsh desert climate of Namibia. Himba clans are led by the eldest male, who is the chief of the tribe.
Life & customs of the Himba
The OvaHimba are predominantly livestock farmers and wealth is typically counted in the number of cattle owned! While the men are responsible for tending to the livestock and herding, the women actually do very labour-intensive jobs; these include carrying water to the village, plastering the homes, milking the cows, cooking and making a variety of crafts, clothes and jewellery.
The OvaHimba are polygamous with a Himba man typically having two wives. Arranged marriages are also the norm, and – even though it is illigeal in Namibia – some girls are married off as young as ten years old. Interestingly enough, the girls aren’t considered ‘women’ until they have had a child, but the boys are considered ‘men’ as soon as they hit puberty.
Even though the OvaHimba live in their own homesteads with a distinctively different cultural lifestyle, you’ll still find both men and women coexisting and adopting the social trends of the city people in Opuwo. They shop in the supermarket, visit the markets and seek healthcare in the local community.
Himba fashion & social status
Both the men and women wear very traditional tribal clothing, which pretty much consists of a calf-skin skirt and some tribal jewellery. The women are famous for covering themselves in a homemade cosmetic paste known as otjize paste; it’s made from butterfat and ochre. While it’s seen as a beauty cosmetic, the paste is extremely practical, protecting against mosquito bites and helping to cleanse the skin due to the lack of water. The otjize paste is used on the skin and hair; it gives a distinctive orange-red tinge and is seen as an ideal of beauty.
The hairstyles and jewellery of the OvaHimba are hugely important when it comes to age and social status. The small children typically have shaved heads and then develops into a plait as they head towards puberty. Once they have past puberty, the boys continue to have one plait tat extends to the back of their head, while the girls start to use the otjize paste on their plaits. After being married for a year or having a child, the women then wear a headpiece called an Erembe, which is typicallymade from sheepskin.
How to visit the Himba Tribe…
We had read about a tour guide called KK in Lonely Planet; the plan was to find him in a tiny hut (Kaoko Information Centre) in the centre Opuwo and arrange a tour. We found the tiny hut, but we didn’t find KK; we found John – his brother. John became our tour guide for the day and, along the way, we learned how many of his other brothers, including KK, had passed away as a result of HIV.
Despite his family suffering, John was a fabulous tour guide. He took us to the local supermarket to pick up some rice and basic commodities that we could gift to the tribe when we drove out of the the city to their tribal home. The afternoon was incredibly surreal! We spent it sitting inside mud huts, meeting the tribal elder and learning how the tribe live their day-to-day lives.
Where to stay in Opuwo…
Something that you’ll learn about my travels is that they are rarely well-planned! I like the on-the-go experience because it provides me with more freedom to make up a plan as I go along. Sometimes, however, this means finding myself with no place to sleep at night. My friend Dave and I rocked up to Opuwo Country Lodge late into the evening. The hotel was full and so was the campsite. Now, if you ever find yourself in Opuwo late at night with nowhere to stay, you’ll understand why we begged the reception staff to let us set up our tent on a patch of gravel next to the campsite – that’s how desperate we were.
The great thing about Namibia is that you can camp at a hilltop resort like Opuwo Country Lodge for super cheap and still have access to all the facilities. We went to sleep that night feeling tired, cranky and a little fed-up with each other’s company, but the next morning we woke up and had breakfast overlooking the infinity pool, with panoramic views of the entire area before setting off in search of the OvaHimba. If you have the cash to spend, book yourself in at the lodge – you won’t regret it.
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