Thread: Can you tell me more about living in Namibia?

Mary_l : Living in Namibia is not a walk in the park for many people, especially the poor, the sick , the elderly and vulnerable memebrs of society. But then the same can be said for any other society, anywhere else in the world.

The answer to your question is not simple and straightforward, and depends in so many ways on what you are looking for, and what you persoanlly want out of life. Like any other country, Namibia is not perfect.

In some respects living in Namibia is hard: Imported goods like food, electronic equipment, books, and a whole range of manufactured items, etc. are expensive and out of the reach of many ordinary Namibians. If you want/need that to be happy, life will be hard no doubt and you will be spending a large part of your income on items that are much more affordable elsewhere. Although public health care is available to a degree, you'd be well advised to seek private medical care for complicated ailments and in emergencies, and it is also very expensive. Well-paid jobs are hard to come by, so if you don't have a well-paying job lined up you'll have to strike out on your own. With a small and limited domestic market a lot of business have no choice but to look to the regional markets to thrive and grow and make money. If you are not a Namibian there is of course the real challenge of obtaining a work permit and permanent residency since the current Government has very restrictive labour market policies and regulations in place.

But there are also many business and professional opportunities, and if you have a specialised and rare skill, are creative, hard-working and have the money to set up a business with a good business plan you will make it - as you would in other parts of the world. There are many hard-working, professional, dedicated and competent businesspeople in Namibia, and they are doing fine (at least materially judging by the size of people's houses, the age of their cars, the clothes they wear, the holidays they take, etc..) But know this too: Namibia has a very rich and small upper class, a not-so rich and still small middle class and a huge number of people who are just getting by. There remains a huge disparity in incomes, with the small number of top earners making more money combined than a huge percentage of the middle and low-income earners. Namibia's Gini coefficient of between 60-70% which makes it one most unequal societies in the world. Gini is the measure of income inequality within a population. An index of 100 percent means a single person grabs all the income; an index of zero means the country divides its income precisely equally among everyone. This skewed income puts pressure on society and remains a huge challenge for the couuntry to overcome. So does crime. Theft, burglaries and assaults are more common than in many other countries.

In other respect life is just fine: There is space, lots of it and Namibia has an unsurpassed natural beauty with wide, open landscapes and stunning open spaces. It can get very dry in summer, so prepare for cutting back your water consumption when supplies run down. Namibia will also suffer from a rise in global temperatures, with more frequent droughts expected. There are no crowded cities. The capital Windhoek is a modern, well-run city with a superb infrastructure, good municipal services and it is probably the cleanest city on the entire continent. The air in Namibia is clean (for the most part) and life is not the manic, driven energy you find in many European countries. Things sometimes take their time, and sometimes that is not a bad thing. Namibians are for the most part very friendly and hospitable. They love soccer and "braais" or barbeques of all kinds. If you like the outdoors and love exploring the environment Namibia has plenty to offer.

If you have children there are some very well-run private schools in the capital Windhoek and other smaller cities. The fact that quite a few Namibians pursue successful careers all over the world bears testament to the good education they received. Some of them were also educated in public schools. But you need to register your child early with the school authorities to stand a chance for your child to get a place. Fees are also expensive as is child care.

Living in Namibia also requires you have your wits about you with regard to personal safety and security. You will notice the high walls, the electric fences, the razor wires everywhere. Sometimes it feels as if people live in their own little prisons, and the poor are freely roaming the streets. Don't go walking about in the night, and certainly not when you are on your own. There have been improvements in policing, especially in Windhoek, where a city police force now performs regular patrols and also responds to emergencies.

Comrade, what a balanced and accurate presentation of Namibia. Superb job, well done!

Mary_l, there is not much to be added -- except perhaps to emphasize and reiterate the friendliness and warmth of most of the people, the overwhelming natural beauty of the desert, the wide, open landscapes everywhere, the blue sky and the terrific starry sky!

Once you've been to Namibia, it will never really let go of you, that is what every tourist and visitor will confirm.

Before i came to Namibia my employer told me very bad things about Namibia.
i thank him now for scaring me and preparing me for my new life in Namibia.
Thank god most of what he said were lies or grossly exagerated but it did help me get ready for anything.
i was hooked the first minute i landed and i don't ever want to leave Namibia.

this place will change you a little , you will become more impatient , you will drive more aggressivly and
you will look at your watch a lot more as if you have somewhere more important to go.
everyone in Namibia has somewhere else they need to be?.
Namibians hate waiting for anything and quite funny to see how impatient people can be to buy a peice of candy.

when waiting paitiently in line at a bank, a shop or government office the locals will simply jump in front of you "jump the queu".

when standing in line people invade your personal space , i honestly think
they will get faster service if they stand millimeters behind you or my favorite block your exit after paying for your items.

most Namibian drivers are fair and law abiding but a very visible minority have realized there are no police looking for driving offences where the most driving offences occur. taxis , government vehicles, G4 security and anyone driving a Polo are the worst offenders.

drive carefully on the B1 .. each trip comes with at least one close call where your defensive driving will save your life.

avoid driving at night , a lot of vehicles here have been in accidents or are overloaded and the result is headlamps that are not adjusted properly.
drivers hell Namibians tend not to be as courtious as your accustomed and they may not turn off their High Beam headlights.

DO try to carry your values from your home country to Namibia, DO NOT let anyone "educate" you on how bad,criminal,deceptive the the locals are.
find out for yourself which individual is good , which is bad and DO NOT surround yourself with people who hate a certain group.
stick to who you are , trust me your daily life amongsts all Namibians will be a much richer experience.
i am truly a blessed man for having freinds of all colors.

if you look to get robbed on the street you will get robbed.
secure your home and property, think personal safety at all times.
be aware of everyone around you, a bussiness suit does not automatically mean your safe.
i had a police officer trying everything to distract me at an ATM .. you just never know who are the bad guys
at Vernhil near Kalahari hotel , kids were beside a cop and the next minute they were blocking my face with a garbage bag while the other went for my back pockets. i keep everything in the front and nothing was stolen.
i was terrified to be truly honest
it was dark outside .. i should have known better

FOLLOW YOUR GUT INSTINCTS AND LISTEN TO IT

so sadly this is some of the bad
Windhoek is a wonderful city , so is Swakopmund but the weather takes some getting used to.
visit every corner of Namibia , it will change your life.

For me Namibia is a very peacefull country compared to other African countries. It is very clean and the people are very friendly, there are different cultures in Namibia where you can learn a thing or two from. Iwould suggest you come to Namibia and and enjou yor stay with a beautifull coast and a desert over a 100 yearsand not to forget our lovely landscape and the animals.

You will enjoy staying in Namibia believe me..

Thanks, Neo-RP! Appreciated.

Many thanks to all of you for this excellent info. I think I'm a bit better in the picture and it was difficult to choose a best answer because they were all very good. It seems to me Namibians are also prepared to share their knowledge