Women of the Himba Tribe in Namibia don’t bathe, but always smell great.

The tribe’s women are the symbol of the Himba way of life. The women cover their bodies with red powder. They adorn themselves with handmade jewelry and use mud to style their hair.

The red tone of her skin comes from otzije, an ochre pigment used to cleanse her skin and protect it from the harsh climate.

The men of the Himba Tribe have several women and as a courtesy will sometimes make a wife available to visiting guests, so she can provide sexual pleasure. The guest sleeps with the wife, while the husband stays outside.

Himba are polygamous with an average of two wives per man and young women are commonly paired with a suitable family by an arrangement of the parents. Both boys and girls take part in a rite of passage before they are allowed to marry and both will be circumcised before puberty.

Girls play an important role in the family structure as they are called upon to walk to the nearest water source.

The young girls wear their hair forward to signify that she has not yet reached womanhood.

Himba survived epidemics. They survived genocides. They are the OvaHimba, a semi-nomadic, pastoral tribe of northern Namibia. Despite their resilience, the “Himba” seem unable to slow their surrender to the modernization of the country. And now come new challenges linked to climate change.

When a Himba family moves away, their hut remains empty. The traditional Himba hut appears quite simple at first. However, the mixture of wood, grass, and mud used to build the huts has provided protection from the severe climate for thousands of years.

For better education, some members of this nomadic tribe are now resettling to villages in Namibia. They often face discrimination.

Jenman African Safaris has some tips when planning a visit to a Himba Tribe village.

“A visit to Otjikandero Himba Village is an absolute must-do for anyone with an interest in different cultures and lifestyles from a previous era. It is a wonderful opportunity to interact with another culture and learn while there may be many exotic differences, there are also some similarities that we all share. The village exists to provide a home for the traditional OvaHimba but also as an educational centre for visitors from around the world. It’s a truly eye-opening experience and a highlight of any trip to the northern region of Namibia.”