Newspapers in Namibia
Namibia has a relatively open media climate. Freedom of the press is guaranteed in the Constitution and there are a number of private radio stations as well as privately owned newspapers. Of the country’s 2.3 million residents, 350,000 have access to the internet in 2014.
In Namibia there are five daily newspapers. Largest are the leftist The Namibian, published in English, and Die Republikein, published in Afrikaans, German and English and closely related to the DTA party, which also applies to the German-speaking Allgemeine Zeitung. The state-owned New Era is published in English and four native languages and the tabloid The Namibian Sun is published in English.
The state-owned company Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), founded in 1979, broadcasts radio in ten languages and television (since 1990) in English in one channel. The first commercial radio channel was established in 1994.
Culture
According to APARENTINGBLOG, the culture varies between different groups of people. Traditional visual art lives on. In the music, new and old are mixed more and more.
The traditional depiction of people and animals through paintings on rock walls and cliffs was long lived by the san people (see Population and languages), and similar images still exist on earthen vessels and other objects.
Other crafts are ovambos basket work and kavango wood carving.
The various folk groups have their own music and dance traditions, and performances occur at all kinds of festive occasions. Festivals and competitions where the different styles are measured against each other are common.
Modern music influences include hip hop, and its South African variant kwaito.
The literary supply is limited. Some traditional stories and stories for school children are published in different native languages. Otherwise the publication is mainly in English and Afrikaans.
Mass Media
Freedom of the press and expression is guaranteed in the Constitution and works quite well in reality. Namibia ranks highest among all African states in the organization Reporters Without Borders ranking the freedom of the press in the world. The country was ranked 17th out of 180 countries in 2015.
However, prosecution charges against media representatives occur, which gives rise to some self-censorship. The government is also accused of attempts to counter media that is perceived as abusive. The criticism has not least applied to an advertising boycott, which for ten years has prevailed for authorities and public bodies, against the leading daily newspaper Namibian. In connection with the 2009 election, the newspaper was denied information from the Election Commission. The boycott was lifted in 2011.
Besides Namibia, which is published in English and Oshivambo, there are three independent newspapers: Afrikaans-language Die Republikein, German-language Allgemeine Zeitung and the predominantly English-speaking Namibian Sun. The New Era newspaper is a government agency.
In addition, there are several weekly magazines. There is a long tradition of privately owned publications in the country.
State NBC (Namibian Broadcasting Corporation) has radio channels with broadcasts in several of the country’s languages and a mainly English-language TV channel. There are several private local radio stations and a commercial broadcaster. Many Namibians can also watch South African pay-TV.
FACTS – MASS MEDIA
Percentage of the population using the internet
51 percent (2017)
Number of mobile subscriptions per 100 residents
113 (2018)
2017
December
Namibia on the EU blacklist
December 5
When the EU publishes its first “black list” of tax havens, Namibia is one of 17 designated countries and territories.
November
Geingob re-elected as Swapol leader
November 27th
President Hage Geingob is re-elected chairman of the Swapo government party with around 75 percent of the vote at the party’s congress. Geingob is being challenged, among others, by the Minister of Youth, Jerry Ekandjo, who receives almost 20 percent of the vote.
