Discover WINDHOEK: The Capital City of NAMIBIA | One of the Cleanest Cities in AFRICA

The name ‘Windhoek’ is derived from Afrikaans meaning ‘windy corner’. Situated roughly in the center of the country, Windhoek is the largest and capital city of Namibia. This is an African country located on the Southwestern coast of Africa bordered by Angola to the North, Botswana to the East, Zambia to the Northeast, South Africa to the Southeast and South and Atlantic Ocean to the West. Windhoek is the social, political, economic and cultural center of Namibia. Its population in 2020 was 431,000 but is continually growing.

The tourist portal on the official city of Windhoek website reads; ’Windhoek is often described as one of the cleanest capitals in Africa and visitors are surprised that this city, considered to be part of deepest Africa, offers all modern amenities that conform to some of the world’s highest standards.”

When Windhoek was selected to host the Africities 2000 Summit, the Mayor of Windhoek at the time, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, positioned the city in terms of its “cleanliness” as an attribute setting Windhoek apart. It was regarded as a jewel to be jealously guarded. Its status as the “cleanest city in Africa” was peddled by City of Windhoek officials for a while until Kigali snatched the “crown” from Windhoek around 2015/2016. Arguably, this status did not come by chance, but was (and is) a result of an entrenched culture of cleanliness among people living in Windhoek.

Slogans such as ‘My Waste, My Responsibility’ have really helped. Windhoek still features among the top 10 cleanest cities in Africa, coming in at number 5 after Kigali, Tunis, Port Louis and Cape Town. In March of this year, city of Windhoek councilors embarked on a clean-up campaign to reclaim its former glory. This campaign is supported by various stakeholders like Rent-a-Drum, Shoprite Namibia, Plastic Packaging, Namibia Recycling Forum, Development workshops and learners from schools in the Garoeb/Moses constituency. If everyone else gets on board, great change will definitely be observed in the city.

The National Botanic Garden of Namibia (NBGN)is situated on a hill between Klein Windhoek and the city center of Windhoek. This is the only botanic garden in the country. It is one of five subsections within the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Forestry. The mission of the Garden is to protect and promote the Namibian flora while functioning as a research, educational and recreational facility for Namibians and tourists as well.

The estate is about 12 hectares big. The larger part of the area is unlandscaped and serves as a study area for local students. A number of walking trails lead through the Garden where the most common woody plants are clearly labeled. Bird and plant lists are available at the reception. You’ll see the desert house, rockery and nursery house which are a comprehensive collection of Namibian succulents, many of which are rare and endangered.

The garden also claims to have one of the densest areas of the Windhoek Aloe. In the early 1970s a forest of quiver trees and bottle trees was planted and today, this forest is well worth the visit. Early in the year, after good rains, you can admire some of the garden lilies flowering along the Lily Walk. The garden is also home to a variety of insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. The picnic area provides the perfect spot to end your visit as you relax in the tranquil atmosphere of the garden.

The Gardens are open from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every first Saturday of the month from 8 to 11 a.m. Entrance is free, save for the weekends. Just don’t litter, don’t damage any plant or plant materials and stay on the marked trails.

With the rapidly growing population of Windhoek and increased investment and development of the city, there was increased pressure on the supply of water. In 1968, the municipality built the plant making Windhoek the first city in the world to produce its own drinking water from wastewater. In 2002, the city built a new DPR plant next to the original one which is still in operation but only producing water for irrigation.

The Goreangab plant is often referred to as ‘the cradle of water reclamation’ and is believed to be the world's only pipe to pipe DPR facility. It produces purified water for over 400,000 city residents. This water is not treated again at conventional water treatment plants but goes directly into the distribution system. It is reported that no illnesses have plagued the city due to this purification system.

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