Wife Lending Custom Among the Himba People of Namibia

Wife lending among the Himba people is a normal practice. The Himba live in remote parts of Namibia and are a semi-nomadic tribe with very old sexual, marital, and moral customs. One of their ancient practices is still followed today in the harsh Namibian desert.

It is believed that Himba men welcome guests by offering their wives. This custom is seen as a way to give a warm welcome to visitors and to avoid the sexual jealousy that often affects other marriages.

This practice is called “okujepisa omukazendu,” which means “offering a wife to a guest.” It has been followed for centuries by the Himba in northern Namibia. In this culture, it is seen as an act of kindness for a husband to allow his wife to sleep with a male guest.

The Himba believe this custom, which is different from Western culture, shows friendliness and helps prevent the sexual jealousy that can harm marriages. They see it as a way to keep peace in their community.

Himba women have many responsibilities. They take care of animals, maintain their red clay homes, cook, clean, and look after the children, often doing more work than the men and boys.

The Himba way of life remains mostly separate from the rest of Namibian society. The OvaHimba subgroup has lived as hunter-gatherers for many years, and about 50,000 Himba still follow their traditional lifestyle.

Genetic studies on the community found that over 70% of Himba men raise at least one child who is not biologically theirs, even though it is common for Himba men to have many wives.