GENERAL
Official name of the state
Republic of Namibia.
Capital
Windhoek.
Geography
According to topb2bwebsites, Namibia is located in southwestern Africa. The predominantly barren country borders on Angola in the north, Botswana in the east and South Africa in the south, the Zambezi (formerly Caprivi-Zipfel), a narrow headland in the northeast of the country, borders on Zambia and Zimbabwe. The 1280 km long coastline is one of the most impressive in the world. The huge shifting dunes of the Namib Desert on the coast stretch 80-130 km inland (thus covering 15% of the total land area). The foothills of a plateau running from north to south descend to the east towards the Kalahari Desert. The 66,000 square kilometers of the Kaokoveld Mountains rise in the northwest, while the gigantic Etoscha Pan extends deeper inland. Grassland and bushland surround this shallow, often dry salt lake, which is home to countless wild animals.
Government
Republic (in the Commonwealth) since 1990. Constitution from 1990. Parliament: National Assembly with 72, National Council with 26 members. The direct election of the head of state takes place every 5 years. Namibia was the last African colony to gain independence in 1990 (former German colony of South West Africa, administered by South Africa since 1920).
Head of state
Hage Geingob, since March 2015.
Head of government
Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, since March 2015.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz, three-pin plug. Adapters required, which are available in the country. In world travel plug sets there is usually no plug for Namibia.
Time zone
West Africa Time: CET +2 (CET +3 from September 3 to April 2, 2017)
MONEY
Currency
1 Namibia dollar = 100 cents. Currency abbreviation: N $, NAD (ISO code). Banknotes are available in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 N $. Coins with denominations of 5 and 1 N $ as well as 50, 10 and 5 cents. The Namibian dollar is pegged to the South African Rand, which is also accepted as a valid currency in Namibia.
Credit cards
Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted. Gas stations only accept cash. In the meantime, money can also be collected from ATMs with credit cards (especially Visa). Details from the issuer of the credit card in question.
ATMs
EC / Maestro card / Sparcard
The EC card can be used at some banks (including Standard Bank, Nedbank).
Attention: Travelers who pay abroad with their bank customer card and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.
Bank opening times
Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-3.30 p.m., Sat 8.30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Foreign exchange regulations
The import and export of local and foreign currencies must be declared with an equivalent value of N $ 5,000 or more. When traveling between the states of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland, there are no import and export restrictions.
Currency Exchange
Money can be exchanged in banks and exchange offices, the easiest way to exchange US dollars.
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is English (7%). Afrikaans (60%) is colloquial. German (32%) is widespread; numerous African languages such as Ovambo and Herero are also spoken.
DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
The following articles can be imported into Namibia duty-free:
200 cigarettes and 20 cigars and 250 g tobacco (people aged 18 and over);
2 liters of wine and 1 liter of spirits (people aged 18 and over);
50 ml perfume and 250 ml eau de toilette;
Gifts worth up to N $ 5,000 (but not televisions).
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
A suit and tie or costume are appropriate for business visits. Appointments should be made in advance. English is mostly spoken in business circles. The best times for business visits are February to May and September to November.
Economy
Commercial Department of the Embassy of Namibia
Reichsstr. 17, D-14052 Berlin
Tel: (030) 254 09 50.
Internet: www.namibia-botschaft.de
Namibia National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
PO Box 9355, NA-Windhoek
Tel: (061) 22 80 09.
Internet: http: //goss.rho.net/ncci/indexp.htm
Business contacts
Commercial Department of the Embassy of Namibia
Reichsstr. 17, D-14052 Berlin
Tel: (030) 254 09 50.
Internet: www.namibia-botschaft.de
Namibia National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
PO Box 9355, NA-Windhoek
Tel: (061) 22 80 09.
Internet: http: //goss.rho.net/ncci/indexp.htm
COMMUNICATION
Phone
Dial-up remote service. Namibia has a very modern telephone network. Sometimes discussions are still being made with the help of an intermediary, especially when it comes to reaching a farm. (In the case of farm lines, several participants hang on one line. When prompted, state the farm name.) There are card phones. Phonecards valued at N $ 10, N $ 20, and N $ 50 are available from post offices and teleshops.
Cellphone
GSM 1800 and GSM 900. The main network operator is MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Ltd.) (Internet: www.mtc.com.na). Mobile phones can be obtained from the MTC (Metje & Ziegler Building, Independence Avenue, PO Box 23051 Windhoek, Customer Service (00264) 81 120. Tel. (+2 64) (061) 280 20 00, Fax (+2 64) (061) 280 21 24.) can be rented. SIM cards are also available there. Phones brought with you must be GSM phones. The D1 and D2 networks can be used in larger towns in Namibia.
Internet
Internet providers are IML and NCS. Internet cafes can be found in Walvis Bay, Windhoek and now in all major towns.
Post Office
The postal service is excellent. Airmail to Europe takes 4-14 days.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
CULTURE
Religion
Christians (80-90%, including at least 50% Lutherans) and natural religions (10-20%).
Social rules of conduct
Tip: 10% is common.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
The cold Benguela Current keeps the coastal area of the Namib Desert cool and almost free of precipitation. Thick coastal fog is possible in the morning. In the interior of the country, most precipitation falls in summer (October – April). Summer temperatures are highest in January and February. Due to the altitude, the nights are sometimes cool.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +264 Area (sq km) 824 292 Population 2212 307 Population density (per sq km) 3 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 10111