Established as a German colony in 1884, German South West Africa—modern-day Namibia—was Germany’s most significant overseas possession in Africa. The colony’s postal history began with the use of overprinted German stampsin 1897, bearing the inscription “Deutsch-Südwestafrika.” These were soon followed by dedicated colonial issues featuring the iconic imperial Yacht “Hohenzollern” design, used across German colonies.

German South West Africa’s stamps are notable for their clean design and consistent imperial themes, often inscribed in Gothic script, and are highly collectible today. Postal services connected remote desert towns and military outposts, especially during the period of railway expansion and the Herero and Nama uprisings (1904–1908), during which military mail became common.

German control ended during World War I, when South African forces occupied the colony in 1915. Though brief, the German era left a lasting philatelic legacy, offering a distinct glimpse into early 20th-century colonial administration and imperial ambition in southern Africa.