Ovambo

  • Largest ethnic group (about 50% of population)

  • Kwanyama, Ndonga, Kwambi, Ngandjera, Mbalantu, etc.

  • Oshiwambo (includes dialects like Oshikwanyama & Oshindonga)

  • Northern Namibia (especially Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, and Oshikoto)

Kavango

  • Kwangali, Mbunza, Shambyu, Gciriku, Mbukushu

  • RuKwangali, Thimbukushu, Shambyu, Gciriku

  • Kavango East and Kavango West along the Okavango River

Herero

  • Herero, Mbanderu, Himba (Note: The Himba are semi-nomadic and culturally distinct, with red ochre body adornment.)

  • Central and eastern Namibia (Otjozondjupa, Omaheke), Himba in Kunene Region

  • Northern Namibia (especially Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, and Oshikoto)

Damara

  • (San) Culturally unique with both Bantu and Khoisan heritage

  • Khoekhoegowab (also spoken by the Nama)

  • Erongo and Kunene Regions

Tswana (Batswana)

  • Small population, culturally similar to Botswana’s Tswana

  • Setswana

  • Eastern Namibia near Botswana border (Otjombinde area).

Afrikaaner

  • Descendants of Dutch settlers; Afrikaans is widely spoken and understood even outside this group.

  • Afrikaans

  • Urban areas throughout Namibia

Ethnic Groups and Tribes of Namibia

Nama

  • San Bushmen (Traditional pastoralists with a rich oral storytelling tradition)

  • Khoekhoegowab (Khoekhoe or Nama-Damara language)

  • Southern Namibia (Hardap and ǁKaras Regions)

Caprivians

  • These are tribes located in the Zambezi Region (formerly Caprivi Strip):

    • Lozi (Silozi)

    • Subiya

    • Yeyi

    • Mbukushu (also in Kavango)

  • Silozi, Subiya, Yeyi, Mbukushu

  • Zambezi Region (northeast)

Germans

  • A legacy of colonial rule; small but influential cultural group

  • German (Namibian German)

  • Mostly Swakopmund, Windhoek, and other central towns.

San (Bushmen)

  • !Kung, Ju/’hoansi, Hai//om, and others. (Note: Among the oldest cultures on Earth, known for tracking, hunter-gatherer skills, and rock art)

  • Various Khoe and San languages (e.g. Juǀʼhoan, !Xun)

  • Mostly in northeast (Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Kavango, Zambezi), but also Etosha area

Coloured / Baster People

  • Descendants of mixed ancestry (European and African); culturally distinct, with Baster identity rooted in migration from the Cape.

  • Afrikaans, Nama

  • Central Namibia, particularly Rehoboth

English-speaking Namibians

  • Urban areas across the country