My experience living as an expatriate in Namibia

I relocated to Windhoek Namibia from Zimbabwe in January 2017 to take up an employment opportunity. My family joined me in February 2017 and we lived in Namibia until December 2019 (also read Why I left Namibia). I will give my perspective of how I experienced the country hoping that this information will be helpful to someone. General information Namibia has a population of approximately 2.5 million. The main languages are Oshiwambo, Otjiherero, Nama, Damara, Silozi, English and Afrikaans. There is also a fairly sizeable German community. I stayed in Windhoek which has an estimated population of +/-400,000. Due to the diverse languages, english is the main medium of communication. Use of Afrikaans within business circles is also quite prevalent which can be a challenge at times. The Namibian Dollar is the official currency and is pegged to the South African Rand (ZAR) at a rate of 1:1. Accommodation This was a shocker. Rentals are quite steep. Coming from Bulawayo where I was paying US$400 (N$6000 equivalent) for a 4 bedroomed house in a medium density suburb on a 600 square metre piece of land to paying N$9000 for a 2-bed flat was quite sobering. Property prices are also comparably high. It is said that the property prices and rentals were pushed up by demand from Angolans when oil prices were still strong. Ever since the Angolan economy weakened due to the fall in oil prices, the property prices and rentals have both been tumbling. It is not difficult to find accommodation in middle class residential areas which I guess is due to the fact that many people cannot afford the high rentals. My lease agreement had a rental escalation clause which however was never triggered so I paid a flat rental for 3 years. This is evidence of the falling rentals and the attempt by landlords to retain tenants. Shopping The 3 main malls in Windhoek are Wernhill Park (recently expanded), Maerua Mall and The Grove Mall. You can find all the banks, brands like Edgars, Foschini, Checkers, PicknPay, Fruit & Veg, Mugg and Bean, Pep Stores, Mr Price, Ackermanns, Woolworths, Clicks, Game, fast food outlets and a variety of restaurants. The malls are quite safe and parking is usually not a problem. Are Namibians friendly? Definitely they are! During my 3-year stay, I cannot recall any xenophobic experiences. The only times I noted xenophobic tendencies was when foreigners either committed crimes or were appointed to influential positions (In the former, the feeling is that foreigners are committing crime and therefore should go back to their countries while in the latter, the feeling is that key jobs especially in government entities should be occupied by locals). Zimbabweans were mostly at the receiving end which I can attribute to large numbers of documented and undocumented immigrants within the country. All in all, the locals are quite friendly I would rate them highly in this regard.

Transport system

City of Windhoek operates buses but I never used them so I'm not sure how they operate. Most people use taxis which pick up and drop off people anywhere around the city. The pricing system can be a bit complicated so I will not get into much detail regarding that. Generally, transport is not a problem but depending on where one stays, it can be a struggle to get transport during peak hours. Staying in the suburb of Eros, I never experienced serious traffic jams during the rush hour, but I understand there are traffic jams if one stays in places like Khomasdal and Kleine Kuppe.

Financial system All the big South African banks like FNB, Standard Bank and Nedbank have operations in Namibia with Bank Windhoek being the only Namibian bank (among the big banks). It is generally not difficult for documented expatriates to open bank accounts, secure car loans and get mortgages (depending on whether one qualifies). The advice I got was that the Nedbank requirements for expatriates are less stringent when it comes to car loans and mortgages than other banks, so I banked with Nedbank. My car loan was 42 months although Namibians would typically get 54 months. It is also easy to transact with South African banks as Namibia is part of the Rand Monetary Union. Places visited I did not visit as much as I would have wanted to but few places that I visited were absolutely beautiful. Swakopmund is a must visit I would say. Coming from a landlocked country, visiting the sea and having the bonus of also experiencing the desert was quite memorable. Etosha (game reserve) is another place I visited that I recommend. The other notable towns/places I visited/passed through are Walvis Bay, Hentis Bay, Okahandja. Going to the North.. Otjiwarongo, Tsumeb, Rundu, Rehoboth to the south and Gobabis to the west. Namibian roads are quite good so one is assured of a pleasant drive when driving to most of the key places within the country. Process to obtain work permit/permanent residence The work permit was processed by the employer, so I was saved from going through the admin part of it. My first 2-year permit took 5 months to come out, however the subsequent renewal was fairly quick. It is important to note that employment permits are mostly for a period of 2 years, however, I have heard of people being given as short as six months and those in academia getting as much as five years. From discussing with fellow expatriates, the path to acquiring a permanent residence is not very clear and structured. There are people who have been in the country for +10 years who still do not have permanent residence while there are those who have been in the country for a shorter period who have. This is unlike South Africa and other western countries which have a clear and structured path. Links to South Africa There are very strong links between Namibia and South Africa which I would think is mostly attributable to the colonial era ties (not too sure if there would be any other reason). As highlighted above, most South African brands/businesses can be found in Namibia. In addition to the Namibian dollar being linked to the South African rand, the rand itself is also accepted as legal tender. There are also links between South African and Namibian universities and a sizeable number of Namibians go to South Africa for tertiary education.

What is Namibia known for/what stood out for me *One of the major diamond producers. *A good tourist destination with key attractions being the sea, the desert and wildlife *One of the top beef producers in Africa *Namibians love their meat and beer! *Kapana, both the meat and the spice (definitely worth experiencing, but it's the spice for me!).

*During the festive season, cities are almost deserted, most businesses close as people go to their villages or visit resort areas. This is contrary to my Zimbabwean experience where cities are a hive of activity during this time. So my advice is, do not spend the festive season in the city or else you will be bored to death! What I liked about Namibia 1. Beautiful country with friendly people.

2. Almost everyone from a taxi driver to a vendor can speak basic english so to a larger extent, communication barriers are removed. 3. Life is laid back which suits me well as I prefer a laid-back environment. 4. Political stability (if you are an African, you know that means a lot!). What I did not like about Namibia 1. The short-term nature of the work permits, uncertainty surrounding renewal of permits and lack of a structured path to obtaining permanent residence makes medium to long term planning difficult; 2. The poor are really poor with no decent accommodation and ablution facilities. Visiting informal settlements such as Havana is a painful experience. One would assume that for such a small population, it would be easier for wealth to be distributed more equally (it is estimated that one million people live in shacks).

Conclusion

Namibia is a beautiful country to visit and explore.

Would I recommend taking up an employment opportunity? Yes…but with a caveat (for the short to medium term yes, but not for the long term).