The Himba — Last Semi-Nomads
The Himba in the remote Kaokoland are one of the most fascinating and best-documented traditional cultures in Africa. About 50,000 Himba still live predominantly traditionally today — as semi-nomads who roam the barren landscape of the northwest with their cattle herds.
What makes the Himba so special:
- Otjize Paste: Himba women rub themselves daily with a paste made from ochre pigment and butterfat — it gives the skin the typical reddish-brown sheen, protects against sun, insects, and drying out. Himba women never wash with water (they use smoke steam baths) and smell of a mixture of earth and herbs
- Hairstyles as Life Signs: A Himba woman's hairstyle indicates her status — young girls wear two braids hanging forward, married women elaborate ochre curls and a leather crown (Erembe)
- Holy Fire: In every kraal (homestead) burns a holy fire (Okuruwo), symbolizing the connection to the ancestors. Only the chief may walk between the fire and the main house
- Bilateral Descent: Every Himba belongs to both the father's clan (Oruzo) and the mother's clan (Eanda) — a rare kinship system
The Himba face the challenge of modernization: Mobile phones, compulsory education, and the planned Baynes Dam on the Kunene River threaten their way of life. Many younger Himba oscillate between traditional life and modernity — ochre paste in the morning, jeans and smartphone in the afternoon.
