The Nama people are perhaps the closest in origin to the Bushmen, traditionally sharing a similar type of 'click' or Khoisan language, the same light-coloured yellow skin, and a hunter-gatherer way of life. One of the first peoples in Namibia, their tribal areas were traditionally communal property, as indeed was any item unless it was actually made by an individual. Basic differences in the perception of ownership of land and hunting grounds led in the past to frequent conflicts with the Herero people. The 50,000 or so Nama today live mostly in the area that was Namaland, north of Keetmanshoop in the south of Namibia, mainly working on commercial farms. Nama women share the same Victorian traditional dress as the Herero and Damara women.

The Nama people make up about 5% of Namibia's population, and are traditionally stock farmers. Their crafts include leatherwork (aprons and collecting bags), karosses (mantle of animal skins) and mats, musical instruments (eg: reed flutes), jewellery, clay pots and tortoise-shell powder containers.