Places · Windhoek and centre

Okahandja

At the edge of town a row of stalls stands under corrugated iron, with carved giraffes in front in every size, some taller than a person. A trader waves before you have even pulled over.

Okahandja lies about 70 kilometres north of Windhoek, where the motorway ends and the B1 and B2 part ways. North leads to Etosha, west to the coast. If your trip starts in the north or on the coast, you will almost certainly pass through in the first few hours. At the 2023 census the town had 45,182 residents.

residents, 2023 census
45,182
to Windhoek on the motorway
72 km
official founding with the military post
1894
burial of Samuel Maharero
1923

The name comes from Otjiherero and refers to the place where two rivers meet, the Okakango and the Okamita. Herero and Nama lived here by around 1800. The missionaries Heinrich Kleinschmidt and Hugo Hahn arrived in 1844, a German military post followed in 1894, and that year counts as the official founding.

Okahandja is still the centre of Herero life. Maharero, Samuel Maharero, Jan Jonker Afrikaner and Hosea Kutako, after whom Windhoek's airport is named, are buried here.

The roadside market

Most travellers know Okahandja for its open-air curio market. Woodcarvers sell masks, bowls, animals and drums. Bargaining is expected, and the first price is rarely the last. Take your time before buying. Many stalls offer much the same, and quality varies.

Think about the flight home: large carvings weigh more than they look and do not fit well in a suitcase. Buy at the end of the trip rather than on day one, and you will not have to carry them round the country for two weeks.

Herero Day in August

Samuel Maharero died in exile in 1923. His body arrived in Okahandja on 23 August, he was buried here on 26 August, and about 3,000 Herero came to the funeral. They have gathered every year since. The three days usually begin on the Sunday closest to 23 August. Men march to the chiefs' graves in uniform, women wear long, many-layered dresses and the two-pointed hat that recalls cattle horns. A church service follows.

The day is also called Red Flag Day, or Otjiserandu in Otjiherero. It is a day of remembrance, not a show for visitors. If you are passing through at the time, keep a respectful distance and ask before photographing anyone.

First or last night

Many people skip Windhoek on the first night and stay an hour further out. From Hosea Kutako airport it is just over 115 kilometres through Windhoek, about an hour and a half. Next morning you are already on your way north or to the coast. The accommodation feed lists places such as the Okahandja Country Hotel and the Ovita Wildlife Restcamp.

Just outside town lies the Von Bach Dam, which supplies most of Windhoek's water.

Today, as of Okahandja doubled in twelve years: 22,639 residents at the 2011 census, 45,182 in 2023. The road to Windhoek has been motorway all the way since 2024, built in sections from 2014. And since November 2025 the Okapuka checkpoint between Okahandja and Windhoek has meant you should expect to be stopped.

Time needed
an hour for the market, or the first or last night of the trip
From Windhoek
72 km, 55 minutes

Our tipStop at the market on your way back to the airport, not on the way out. By then you know how much room is left in your suitcase.

AngolaZambiaBotswanaSouth AfricaAtlanticOrangeEtosha PanWindhoekOkahandjaOkahandjaOkahandjaRehobothGobabisOmaruruUsakos and ErongoSwakopmundWalvis BayHenties Bay and Cape CrossSesriem and SossusvleiSolitaireMaltahöheMariental and KalahariKeetmanshoopAusLüderitz and KolmanskopFish River CanyonAi-AisKarasburgEtosha South (Andersson Gate)Etosha East (Von Lindequist Gate)OutjoOtjiwarongo and WaterbergTsumebOtaviGrootfonteinOshakati and OndangwaKamanjabTwyfelfonteinKhorixasSesfonteinOpuwo and KaokoveldRunduDivundu and BwabwataKatima Mulilo and Zambezi200 km
Where Okahandja lies. Click a dot to open the place.

Places to stay in Okahandja

AdvertisementThe links lead to trivago. If you book through them we receive a commission; it does not influence the selection. Prices are examples for the night shown.

Maison Ambre9.2/10

GuesthouseWindhoek and centre

Maison Ambre

Nr 5 Irle Street

  • Pool
  • Breakfast
  • Parking
  • Air conditioning

from €102per night on 18 November 2026

Check prices on trivago
Okahandja Country Hotel8.6/10

HotelWindhoek and centre★★★

Okahandja Country Hotel

Voortrekker road, Old Zoo park

  • Pool
  • Breakfast
  • Restaurant
  • Parking

from €121per night on 19 November 2026

Check prices on trivago

Okahandja: frequently asked questions

When is Herero Day in Okahandja?

Herero Day in Okahandja commemorates the burial of Samuel Maharero on 26 August 1923. The three days usually begin on the Sunday closest to 23 August, with a procession to the graves of the chiefs and a church service.

Is Okahandja a good first night after landing?

Okahandja is just over 115 kilometres from Hosea Kutako airport, about an hour and a half via Windhoek. If you are heading on to Etosha or the coast, it saves you an hour the next morning.

Can you bargain at the Okahandja carvers' market?

Bargaining is normal at the Okahandja curio market, and the first price is rarely the last. Many stalls sell much the same, and quality varies.