White Namibians () are people of European descent settled in Namibia. The majority of White Namibians are Dutch-descended Afrikaners (locally born or of White South African descent), with many of the White minority being German Namibians (descended from Germans who colonised Namibia in the late-nineteenth century). Many are also Portuguese or English immigrants. Estimates published in 2016 suggest that the White Namibian population run between 75,000 and 150,000. This imprecision in data is because the Namibian government no longer collects data based on race.
Distribution
The vast majority of White Namibians live in major cities and towns in central or southern Namibia. Windhoek has by far the largest White population, and Whites are a majority in the coastal city of Swakopmund. Other coastal cities, such as Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, also have large White communities. In general, most of Namibia south of Windhoek has a high proportion of Whites, while central Namibia has a high concentration of Blacks. Apart from Windhoek, coastal areas and Southern Namibia, there are large White communities in Otjiwarongo and towns in the Otavi Triangle, such as Tsumeb and Grootfontein. The 1981 census of the Republic of South Africa reported a White population of 76,430 in Namibia (71% Afrikaners and 17% German-speaking).
History
The first European to land in Namibia was Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão.
Portuguese mariner and explorer Bartolomeu Dias reached Namibia in 1487. Europeans had no interest in Namibia until the 19th century because there was a desert along the country’s coast.
During Namibia's German rule, the colony attracted German immigrants. Most Afrikaners settled during the Dorsland Trek, as well as during the existence of apartheid. Most Angolan-born Portuguese settled after Angola became independent in 1975.
Economics
About 4,000 commercial land owners, mostly Whites, own around 50% of the arable land across the country despite a land reform process. According to the FAO, around 42% of arable land was owned by Whites at the time of independence in 1990. While the area was known as South West Africa, White Namibians enjoyed a highly privileged position due to apartheid laws enforcing strict segregation.