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Herero people

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Also known as Herero, Hereros, Ovaherero

ethnic group

Key facts

Namibia
178,987 (2023 Census)
Angola
25,000
Botswana
19,000

via Wikipedia infobox

~20 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The Herero (Otjiherero: Ovaherero) are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting parts of Southern Africa. 178,987 Namibians identified as Ovaherero in the 2023 census. They speak Otjiherero, a Bantu language. Though the Herero primarily reside in Namibia, there are also significant populations in Botswana and Angola, and a small number in South Africa. The Hereros in Botswana and South Africa are there because of displacement during the 1904–1908 genocide committed by the German Empire.

Overview

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Herero people” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.