Namibia's variety of languages reflects the diversity of its peoples – black and white. Amongst the indigenous languages there are two basic language groups which bear no relation to each other, Bantu (eg: Owambo, Herero) and Khoisan (eg: Bushmen, Nama). The only language that comes close to being a lingua franca is Afrikaans.

Most black townspeople speak both Afrikaans and English in addition to their 'mother' language. In the more rural areas, Afrikaans tends to be more widely used than English (which may not be spoken at all) – despite the widespread enthusiasm felt for the latter. In the farming areas of the central region, German is also commonly found, as many of the commercial farmers are of German origin.

Following independence, one of the new government's first actions was to make English Namibia's only official language (removing Afrikaans and German). This step sought to unite Namibia's peoples and languages under one common tongue ('the language of the liberation struggle'), leaving behind the colonial overtones of Afrikaans and German. This choice is also helping with international relations and education, as English-language materials are the most easily available.

There isn't the space here to include a detailed guide to Namibia's many languages, although, if you are staying in a community for longer than a few days, then you should try to learn a few local greetings from your hosts. Whilst travelling, you are likely to come across unfamiliar words that are in common use in southern African English, many of Afrikaans origin.

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