White Namibians ( or Europäische Namibier) are people of European descent settled in Namibia. The majority of White Namibians are Dutch-descended Afrikaners (locally born or of White South African descent), with a minority being native-born German Namibians (descended from Germans who colonised Namibia in the late-nineteenth century). There are also some Portuguese and English immigrants. 53,773 Namibians identified as White in the 2023 census.

Distribution

The vast majority of White Namibians live in major cities and towns in central or southern Namibia. Windhoek has by far the largest White population, and Whites are a majority in the coastal city of Swakopmund. Other coastal cities, such as Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, also have large White communities. In general, most of Namibia south of Windhoek has a high proportion of Whites, while central Namibia has a high concentration of Blacks. Apart from Windhoek, coastal areas and Southern Namibia, there are large White communities in Otjiwarongo and towns in the Otavi Triangle, such as Tsumeb and Grootfontein. The 1981 census of the Republic of South Africa reported a White population of 76,430 in Namibia (71% Afrikaners and 17% German-speaking).

History

The first European to land in Namibia was Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão. Portuguese mariner and explorer Bartolomeu Dias reached Namibia in 1487. Europeans had no interest in Namibia until the 19th century because there was a desert along the country’s coast. The genocide perpetrated by German people against the Ovaherero people and Nama peoples in Namibia between 1904 and 1908 marked the first such atrocity of the 20th century. During its colonial administration, Germany systematically dispossessed the Namibian populace, subjected them to racial oppression, and stripped them of their fundamental rights. To this day, the German government has declined to offer reparations.

Economics

According to the FAO, around 42% of arable land was owned by Whites at the time of independence in 1990. While the area was known as South West Africa, White Namibians enjoyed a highly privileged position due to apartheid laws enforcing strict segregation.

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Population chart