The history of the Coloured community in Namibia is a complex narrative woven through colonial conquest, racial classification, displacement, resistance, and post-independence identity struggles. Often overlooked in mainstream national history, Coloured Namibians have played a unique and multifaceted role in shaping the socio-political fabric of the country. Their story begins long before formal borders were drawn and continues into the democratic era of modern Namibia.
Origins: Early 1800s and the Cape Influence
The term “Coloured” historically refers to a diverse group of people of mixed racial ancestry, mainly resulting from unions between indigenous African groups, European settlers, and slaves from Asia brought to the Cape during Dutch and later British colonial rule. Many Coloured people in Namibia trace their origins to the Cape Colony, particularly from the early 1800s when mission stations and trade routes were established northwards into present-day Namibia.
As documented by Klaus Dierks, one of the earliest recorded settlements of people of mixed descent in what would become Namibia dates back to around 1811, when missionaries from the London Missionary Society (including Joseph Tindall and Heinrich Schmelen) settled in southern Namibia. Schmelen’s Khoekhoe wife, Zara, played a vital cultural and linguistic role in missionary work, signifying early examples of racial and cultural integration.
These early interactions laid the foundation for a small but growing population of people later classified as “Coloureds” — a term formalised under South African apartheid but with earlier social underpinnings in the Cape and surrounding regions.
Mid-to-Late 19th Century: Movement and Missionaries
During the mid-1800s, increased missionary activity and settler expansion from the Cape brought more Coloured artisans, evangelists, and workers into Namibia. Some were sent deliberately by mission societies, while others came as wagon drivers, interpreters, or traders. They often found themselves mediators between indigenous communities and European colonists.
With the arrival of German colonialism in the 1880s, the socio-political status of Coloureds began to shift. Although not considered equal to Europeans, many Coloured individuals were able to access limited forms of education and employment, often serving in administrative or intermediary roles under German rule. However, they were also excluded from land ownership and political power, reflecting their ambiguous position in colonial society.
German Colonial Rule (1884–1915): Limited Integration, Strategic Exclusion
Under German rule, racial hierarchies became more rigid, especially following the genocides of the Herero and Nama peoples (1904–1908). While the Germans viewed Coloureds as superior to “natives,” they were still subject to discriminatory policies. Some Coloured families were relocated, restricted in property rights, and faced limitations in upward mobility.
Despite these restrictions, Coloureds were sometimes utilised in semi-skilled jobs, as schoolteachers, clerks, or police assistants. A few Coloured individuals acquired education through missionary schools, enabling limited social advancement.
South African Administration and the Rise of Racial Categorisation (1915–1948)
With South Africa’s occupation of Namibia during World War I, apartheid ideologies from the Union of South Africa began influencing administration. The South African government applied increasingly rigid racial laws, classifying Coloureds as a distinct racial group separate from both “Whites” and “Natives.”
In the 1920s and 1930s, the influx of Coloured families from the Cape accelerated, particularly for employment on the South African railways and public works in southern and central Namibia. Coloured schools and residential areas were established in towns like Lüderitz, Keetmanshoop, and Windhoek (especially in areas like Khomasdal).
However, these communities remained subject to racial segregation and legal discrimination. The Urban Areas Act and other legislation restricted where Coloureds could live and work. They had no political representation and were often used to enforce policies against indigenous Africans while still being marginalised themselves.
The Apartheid Era: 1948–1989
The implementation of full apartheid policies in 1948 brought about significant changes for Coloureds in Namibia. The government enforced forced removals and racial zoning, including the relocation of Coloured people in Windhoek to Khomasdal in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as part of the broader Group Areas Act.
Educational institutions like the Dawid Bezuidenhout Secondary School were established for Coloured learners, offering better resources than schools for Black Namibians but still far below the standard of white schools. The apartheid state also created a Coloured Representative Authority in the 1970s, as part of a plan to install “ethnic” self-governments. Many Coloured Namibians rejected this token representation, seeing it as an attempt to divide resistance to apartheid.
Coloured people were caught in a difficult position: privileged compared to Black Namibians in certain respects, but still oppressed and excluded from full citizenship. Many became politically conscious, joining the liberation struggle through SWAPO, the Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO), and churches.
Notably, some Coloured leaders played a role in anti-apartheid resistance. They used their relative mobility and access to information to support underground movements and raise awareness, while others were accused of collaborating with the apartheid regime, illustrating the community’s divided and complex political position.
Post-Independence Namibia (1990–Present): Identity, Representation, and Belonging
With independence in 1990, Namibia officially abolished racial discrimination and sought to build a unified national identity. However, the legacy of apartheid classification systems remained. The Coloured community struggled with questions of identity: were they part of the “Black majority,” or a distinct cultural group?
In the post-independence era, Coloured Namibians have continued to contribute to national life in education, politics, business, and the arts. Leaders such as Pieter van Wyk , Milton Louw, and others have helped redefine the role of Coloureds in public life.
Pieter van Wyk is a respected traditional leader of the ≠Aonin (Topnaar) community, one of the oldest Nama groups in Namibia, based along the Kuiseb River in the Erongo Region. Though his ancestry includes indigenous Nama roots, many in his community identify as Coloured due to historical intermarriage and apartheid-era classification. He is known for his work in preserving indigenous knowledge, botany, and desert ecology, as well as advocating for his people’s land and cultural rights in the post-independence era.
Milton Louw has been a prominent voice in consumer advocacy, fighting for transparency, fair business practices, and regulatory accountability in Namibia. Through his writing, workshops, and media engagement, he has empowered ordinary Namibians—especially marginalized groups, including the Coloured community—to understand their rights and challenge exploitative systems. His activism also intersects with broader social justice themes such as inequality, access to credit, and public participation
However, many still feel underrepresented in political discourse and marginalized in affirmative action policies that primarily benefit “previously disadvantaged” Black Namibians.
Additionally, younger generations have grappled with questions of cultural identity. Afrikaans remains a dominant language in many Coloured communities, leading to both pride and criticism in post-apartheid Namibia. Despite these tensions, Coloureds remain a resilient and dynamic part of Namibia’s multicultural society.
Conclusion
The history of Coloureds in Namibia reflects broader themes of colonisation, racial stratification, resilience, and post-independence identity formation. From their early presence alongside missionaries and traders, through marginalisation under both German and South African regimes, to the complicated realities of modern Namibia, the Coloured community’s journey is both unique and integral to the nation’s story.
While they have often been defined by others in terms of what they are not — not white, not black — their lived experiences, contributions, and evolving identities show that they are not a fringe or forgotten group, but central participants in Namibia’s past and future.
Sources:
Klaus Dierks, Chronology of Namibian History – www.klausdierks.com
Wallace, Marion and Kinahan, John. A History of Namibia: From the Beginning to 1990.
Emmett, Tony. Popular Resistance and the Roots of Nationalism in Namibia.
Hopwood, Graham. Guide to Namibian Politics
Gewald, Jan-Bart. Herero Heroes: A Socio-Political History of the Herero of Namibia
Interviews with community members (oral history sources, summarised in publications by the Museums Association of Namibia)
