Customs/Languages
Greetings
Gestures
Greetings are essential to any and all interactions. They show a sign of respect and recognize a person's presence and value. To not greet someone is to disregard them. Men will usually greet with a strong handshake. One always shakes with their right hand. There must be eye contact among equals, because it shows sincerity. Women greet men and women by shaking hands, but they may kiss or hug close female friends. Adults are usually called by their family name, but close friends and children may be called by nicknames or first names.
Namibians will often communicate using hand motions. For instance, a hitchhiker will bend a hand up and down at the wrist to hail a ride. If a ride is full, the driver might pound a fist on the other hand or place a flat hand over a fist. Twirling a finger in a circle means the driver is not traveling far. Pointing two fingers to one's eyes is used when one wants the listener to pay attention. Rather than to point, a person may subtly lift the chin or eyebrows to indicate a direction. To indicate distance, a person may hold a hand in the air and snap the fingers; the more amount of snaps, the longer the distance is. It is considered rude to point the sole of one's foot at someone, one will put their hands in pockets while addressing an elder, or give or receive something with the left hand.
Languages
The government chose English as its official language and language of instruction in their schools, while also recognizing ten “national languages” spoken by major ethnic groups and two Indo-European languages. Most Namibians will speak at least two indigenous tongues as well as English or Afrikaans (the official language before independence).