Thanks to its rough climate and to its coastal desert Namibia was for long protected from european expansionism. In 1484 the Portuguese Diogo Cao planted crosses at Cape Cross and Angra Pequena but he didn't linger much in this hostile area.

In the XVIIIth century whale and seal hunters as well as merchant ships bound for the Indies took to anchoring on the namibian coast. Some of them seized the opportunity to collect guano.

The dutch government, who possessed the Cape colony, claimed in 1793 the territories of Walvis Bay and Angra Pequena. Two years later the British annexed the Cape colony and unfurled their flag over the whole namibian territory. The same year, the discovery of the Orange river opened up the interior of the country to the Europeans.

English, german and finnish missionaries were the first to explore these lands, soon followed by merchants, explorers and hunters.

The northern tribes (Ovamboland, Kavangoland and Caprivi) remained isolated all through the XIXth century. On the contrary, in the central and southern regions, pioneers and indigenous people traded goods and cattle against firearms and ammunitions which led to a massive massacre of elephants and ostriches.

The Oorlams and Basters, halfcastes from Hottentots and Afrikaners fleeing the discriminatory laws of the Cape colony, arrived in Namibia at the beginning of the XIXth century and with the help of their firearms and horses ransacked the indigenous villages and robbed their cattle. Led by Jonker Afrikaner they soon dominated the Namas who became their allies, the Damaras and the Hereros.