• Namibia:
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Namibia - Society

Population: 2,074,000 (2007); density is extremely low overall (2.5 per sq km) and 33% lives in urban areas; growth 2.8% p.a. 1970–90 and 2.6% p.a. 1990–2004; birth rate (2005) 25 per 1,000 people (44 in 1970); life expectancy 47 years (48 in 1970).

The Ovambo and Kavango together constitute about 60% of the total population. Other groups are the Herero, Damara, Nama and the Caprivians. The San (Bushmen), who are among the world’s oldest surviving hunter-gatherers, have lived in this territory for more than 11,000 years. The Basters, who settled in Rehoboth in 1870, stem from marriages between white farmers and Khoi mothers in the Cape. The ‘Cape Coloureds’, immigrants from South Africa, tend to live in the urban areas. Of the white group of approximately 90,000, about 50% are of South African and 25% of German ancestry, about 20% are Boer ‘sudwesters’ (longer-established migrants), with a small minority of UK ancestry.

Religion: Christian majority (predominantly Lutherans).

Language: English, Oshivambo, Herero, Nama, Afrikaans and German. The official language is English, first or second language to only about 20%. Oshivambo is spoken throughout most of the north. The Caprivians speak Lozi as their main language. Afrikaans is widely spoken and is the traditional language of the Cape Coloureds and Baster communities.

Media: A free press operates in Namibia. State-owned Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) runs the country’s national TV service, and BBC World, CNN and a range of South African and international TV channels are all available via satellite.

NBC also operates the national radio station, and privately owned Katutura Community Radio (KCR) rebroadcasts some BBC World Service programmes.

Daily newspapers include The Namibian (in English and Oshivambo), Namibia Economist, New Era (government-owned), Die Republikein (in Afrikaans) and Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Windhoek Observer is published weekly.

There are 269 TV sets (2002), 109 personal computers (2004) and 40 internet users (2006) per 1,000 people.

Education: Public spending on education was 7.2% of GDP in 2002/03. There are ten years of compulsory education starting at age six. Net enrolment ratios are 72% for primary and 39% for secondary (2005). The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 31:1 and for secondary 25:1 (2005). The school year starts in January. In 1993 English became the main language of instruction.

About 6% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2005). Tertiary education is at the University of Namibia, established in 1993, which has around 2,000 students. There is also a polytechnic as well as technical and teacher-training colleges. Illiteracy among people age 15–24 is 7.7% (2006). There are extensive adult literacy programmes.

Health: 87% of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 50% in urban areas have access to adequate sanitation facilities (2004/2005). Tuberculosis and malaria are widespread in the north. Infant mortality was 46 per 1,000 live births in 2005 (129 in 1960). AIDS is a serious problem; at the end of 2005, 17.7% of people age 15 and over were HIV positive.

Communications: Country code 264. Mobile phone coverage is good in the towns but patchy in rural areas. There are many roaming agreements available.

Internet connections are available in many large towns, and internet cafes can be found in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Windhoek. The country has a good postal service.

There are 68 main telephone lines and 244 mobile phones per 1,000 people (2006).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Independence Day (21 March), Workers’ Day (1 May), Cassinga Day (4 May), Africa Day (25 May), Heroes’ Day (26 August), Human Rights Day (10 December), Christmas Day and Family Day (26 December). Cassinga Day remembers those killed in 1978 when the South African Defence Force attacked a SWAPO refugee camp at Cassinga in southern Angola. Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 (now African Union). Heroes’ Day commemorates the start of SWAPO’s armed struggle against South African rule and those killed in the struggle. Human Rights Day remembers those killed in 1959 when residents of a black township near Windhoek resisted forcible removal to the present-day Katutura.

Religious holidays whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day.