Sight · Otjiwarongo
Museum of Namibian Fashion
A small museum on Park Road in Otjiwarongo about what Namibians have worn, from ostrich eggshell beads and leatherwork to new designers, opened in 2022 by the Museums Association of Namibia.
Otjiwarongo is mostly a fuel, shopping and sleep stop on the B1 between Windhoek and Etosha, but this museum gives you a reason to spend an hour in town. It is about clothing and adornment in Namibia, past and present. The Museums Association of Namibia set it up with the National Museum and the University of Namibia, and it opened to the public in June 2022.
What to expect
The historical side is laid out in seven galleries arranged by the materials clothing and accessories were made from: beads and shells, hair and headdresses, leather and skin, metal accessories, plants, bones and rocks, tattoos and body scarification, and textiles. Gallery names are translated into a long list of languages, among them Otjiherero, Oshikwanyama, Oshindonga, Khoekhoegowab, Rukwangali, Setswana and Silozi, plus Afrikaans and German.
Two more sections bring it up to date. The People’s Gallery is made up of photographs sent in by the Namibian public during Heritage Week in 2020, showing how traditional dress still shapes what people wear. Deep Roots, New Fashion shows Namibian designers who borrow from those older styles. Part of the project linked colonial-era collections held in Berlin with those in Windhoek, and the exhibitions were revised with input from local communities, with the new displays opening in October 2024.
Practical details
- Address: Erf 235 Park Road, Otjiwarongo.
- The museum association lists weekday hours of 8am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, closed over lunch, with Thursday afternoons running on to 9pm. No weekend hours are listed, so check before a Saturday visit.
- Contact through the Museums Association of Namibia on +264 61 302230 or info@museums.com.na.
Good to know
If you cannot get there, the museum runs an online version of the galleries at namibianfashion.com with photos of many of the objects. The exhibition is meant to keep changing, and the association asks visitors for corrections and suggestions, so ask staff what is new.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Sources: Museum of Namibian Fashion, Museum of Namibian Fashion, Museums Association of Namibia, Museums Association of Namibia, Museums Association of Namibia, Museum of Namibian Fashion, Museum of Namibian Fashion, Museum of Namibian Fashion, Wikivoyage.
