What to do in Gobabis
Reasons to visit the Omaheke Region & Gobabis
Place of escape into exile for Sam Nujoma
There are numerous reasons to visit Gobabis and the Omaheke region. If you are interested in history or culture then make sure you include this area in your Namibian itinerary. Visit the place, west of Gobabis, where Sam Nujoma, the founding father of Namibia, left the country in 1957 for his 30-year exile.
Chief Hosea Kutako’s Homestead
Sam Nujoma met Chief Hosea Kutako here when preparing for exile. Sam Nujoma went through the legs of Hosea Kutako as a ritual to wish him well and protect him against evil.
Dorsland Trek
A self-drive four-wheel-drive circuit from Otjozondjupa in the north follows the route taken by the Dorsland Trekkers in the 1880s.
Kalahari Desert
The Omaheke Region is an area of outstanding natural beauty; the red dunes and sands of the Kalahari Desert are home to diverse wildlife and fauna. Explore the site on your own or join a scheduled safari in Namibia.
San Community Projects
Join a day trip or safari to visit the San/Bushmen, the first to inhabit Namibia. Learn about their skills as hunters and gatherers.
Herero German Conflict Sites
The Gobabis area contains numerous battlegrounds and locations relating to this struggle:
- Ozombuzo Ovindimba – a fountain poisoned by the Germans causing the deaths of hundreds of Herero people
- Otjunda/Sturmfeld – Battleground in early Herero resistance against colonialism. Here Ovambanderu Chief Kahimemua was caught by German soldiers in 1896 and later executed at Okahandja.
- Omuhaturua – Battle site during the war, meaning nobody can live here. The myth is that Herero left cattle there when fleeing towards Botswana. When German soldiers ate these cattle, they died instantly.
- Kaseta – Battle site south of Gobabis where many Herero soldiers were killed, among them Chief aTjozongoro and Chief Tjatindi
- German Graves – Graves of German Schutztruppe who died in the conflict
