Namibia: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Namibia feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 58 written places.
Reserved but courteous; greetings matter, distances are vast, and everything runs on unhurried order.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet before asking anything - a handshake and how-are-you open every exchange
- Support your right elbow with your left hand when shaking hands with elders - it signals respect
- Tip around 10% in restaurants and a set daily amount for guides and trackers
- Fill the tank at every town - the next fuel stop can be hundreds of kilometres on
✗ Better avoided
- Skip greetings and get straight to business - it reads as rude
- Photograph people, especially in Himba and Herero communities, without asking first
- Waste water - it is scarce and locals notice
- Expect late or Sunday shopping - most shops close around 17:00 and Sundays are quiet outside the malls
Worth knowing
- The Namibian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the South African rand, and rand is accepted everywhere
- Cards work in towns and lodges - carry cash for rural fuel stops, markets and tips
- Shops keep early hours, roughly 08:00-17:00, with Saturday afternoons dead in small towns
- German influence lingers - Windhoek and Swakopmund do serious bakeries, cake and beer
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.