Around the 16th century, Himba people crossed to Namibia from Angola, settling in Kaokoland (Kunene) as part of the Herero tribe. Impoverished by disease and Nama cattle raiders, Himba were left without livestock, forced to rely on the land for their survival.
Himba women are said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Fiercely proud of their traditional hairstyles and clothes, taking several hours each morning for their beauty care, sleeping on the wooden pillows not to ruin their hairstyle. Both men and women take great care in wearing their traditional attire, clothes, hairstyle, and jewelry are all of particular significance to the Himba and are part of their tradition and culture.
At puberty, the girl will wear braids up front covering her face, letting males know that she isn’t ready to marry. When a young woman is ready to marry, the same locks will be braided toward the back of the head, allowing potential suitors to see her face. First, the hair is lengthened with a straw woven together with the hair extensions to create dreadlocks, which are subsequently covered in otjize and finished with goat hair, added to give the distinct pom-pom look. When a woman has been married for a year or has had a child, she will wear the erembe headdress on top of her head.
