Food and Tipping Practices in Namibia

One of the best things about travelling to a new country is getting to try a host of different foods with many ingredients you may not be able to enjoy in your home country. A safari in Namibia will introduce you to a variety of incredible meals, from indulging in fresh oysters in the coastal town of Swakopmund to tucking into stuffed vetkoek from a street food vendor.

Let’s explore more about what you can expect from Namibian cuisine as well as what tipping practices to take heed of.

Namibian Cuisine and Food Culture

If you’re a meat lover, you’ll love Namibia’s food culture! While exploring the country, you’ll come across a variety of hearty, meaty dishes. One such comfort meal is potjiekos. Translating to “small pot food”, this meal consists of tender chunks of beef, lamb, or game meat, accompanied by an assortment of vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage. All of this is cooked in a special type of pot over a fire with a range of herbs and spices.

Braaiing (barbecue) is a national pastime, with a favourite variety being kapana, a grilled, marinated meat and popular street food. Next to your plate of braaivleis (braaied meat), you’ll often have some type of starch like mieliepap (maize meal) or oshithima (a combination of pearl millet and maize flour).

Namibia is a game-loving country, so while beef, chicken, and pork are available, you’ll also be able to eat antelope like oryx, kudu, and springbok as well as ostrich. As a coastal country, Namibia boasts fantastic seafood, including hake, rock lobster, snoek, and galjoen.

As a former German colony, Namibia still retains some of this European food influence. There are a host of German restaurants in cities like Windhoek where you can find schnitzel and eisbein.

Discover Africa works with a range of incredible safari lodges across Namibia that serve five-star cuisine that is inspired by all corners of the country.

Other must-try Namibian dishes include:

• Oysters (the country has a thriving oyster industry)
• Vetkoek (fried dough, often with either a sweet or savoury filling)
• Biltong (a dried meat snack)
• Mopane worms (a caterpillar that’s either dried or fried)
• Omajova (giant mushrooms that spring from termite mounds)

Tipping in Namibia

At Discover Africa, our tried and tested strategy is to ask the lodge manager or your guide for assistance when it comes to tipping. As a general guideline though, we recommend around US $20 per person per day for your safari guide and US $20 for general staff such as porters, cooks, cleaners, waiters, and watchmen. Some lodges have an anonymous tip box for all their staff, but you’re also welcome to give a gratuity directly to the person who helped you.

If you’re staying in a city hotel in Namibia, work on NAD 50-100 porterage per person. As for dining out, the norm is between a 10% and 15% tip on the total amount of the bill (depending on the level of service). For a group of five people or more, some restaurants add a gratuity directly onto the bill, so check first to avoid double tipping.

When on a Namibia safari, your taste buds will be tantalised by the range of culinary delights, from hearty game dishes and coastal delicacies to German-inspired fare and delightful street food.