The Bushmen alreary inhabited Namibia some 27 000 years ago.

In groups of fifty individuals or so they roamed the land, tracking small game and now and then elephants, and gathering shells and shellfish on the shores. They left rock engravings and paintings which testify of their activities.

Circa the year 500 Nama shepherds arrived in the area coming from today's Botswana.

At the start of the IXth century the Damaras, who originated from western Soudan, set foot in Namibia.

From 1600 on the bantu tribes, which came from central Africa, arrived in the northern part of the country and forced the Bushmen and Damaras to move further south.

The Herero people settled in western and northern Namibia.

Some two centuries later, around 1800, they were joined by the Ovambos.