Despite the developments that have taken place in the Kunene region during the past 50 years, the Himba have largely retained their traditional way of life.
The ancestors of these Otjiherero-speking people are believed to have crossed the Kunene river in the mid 1500s.
The majority moved to central Namibia in the mid 1700s but those how chose to remain became know as the Himba.
The Himba are constantly on the move with their herds of cattle in serach of grazing, and live in semi-permanent settlements scattered throughout the area.
The long slender bodies of the men are somewhat reminiscent of the Maasai of east Africa and they are seldom seen without walking staff.
The women generally still wear traditional calfskin skirts and anoint themselves with red ochre mixed with butterfat and herbs.
Married women can be identified by their leather headdresses or erembe.
The homesteads of the himba and the herero are completely different.
The Himba live in beehive-shaped homesteads plastered with a mixture of mud and cow dung, while Herero live in square homesteads.
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