South West Africa, known today as Namibia, occupies a vast stretch of desert and coastline along Africa’s southwestern edge. Its postal history is deeply entwined with colonial conquest, international mandates, and the long road to independence. Originally part of German South West Africa, the region came under German colonial rule in the 1880s, and Germany issued stamps for the colony starting in 1897—typically German imperial stamps overprinted with “Deutsch-Südwestafrika”.

Following Germany’s defeat in World War I, the territory was placed under South African administration by a League of Nations mandate in 1920. South African stamps were initially used, overprinted with “S.W.A.” for South West Africa. In 1923, South West Africa began issuing its own definitive stamps—bilingual in English and Afrikaans—typically inscribed “South West Africa / Suidwes Afrika”. These often appeared in se-tenant pairs, with one half in English and the other in Afrikaans, making them particularly distinctive and collectible.

Throughout the 20th century, stamps of South West Africa featured local wildlife, native plants, indigenous cultural scenes, and colonial architecture—highlighting the land’s stark natural beauty and complex cultural identity. Issues from the 1930s to the 1970s reflected South Africa’s political control, including portraits of British monarchs and later South African state presidents, especially after South Africa became a republic in 1961.

Although the United Nations revoked South Africa’s mandate in 1966, South Africa continued to govern the territory and issue stamps under the name “South West Africa” until independence was achieved. The final stamps bearing the South West Africa name were issued in 1989, just before independence.

On 21 March 1990, the nation became Namibia, and the postal service adopted the new name, ushering in a fresh era of stamp design that celebrated independence, reconciliation, and national pride.

Stamps from the South West Africa era serve as a visual record of shifting colonial powers, language politics, and nationalist aspirations—capturing, in perforated form, the long and often turbulent history of a land shaped by occupation, resilience, and eventual freedom.