Gobabis at a glance

Just 200km east of Windhoek lies Gobabis - the heart of cattle country - supplying nearly 500 farms in the surrounding area.

The town’s history dates back to 1840 when a group of Orlam immigrated from the Cape Province of South Africa under the leadership of Captain Amraal Lambert and settled down in the area. It was also the Captain that gave the town its name - due to the abundance of elephants he saw fitting to name the town Goabes - meaning home of elephants in Nama.

In 1845 the first mission station was founded, which was taken over by the Rhenish Mission Society in 1856. Due to the good leadership of Lambert and the successful cooperation with the missionaries the town developed steadily.

Today the town feeds the area with supplies to the surrounding cattle farms and also serves as a popular stop-over for people travelling to Botswana.

A visit to Harnas Wildlife Foundation, about 85 km out of Gobabis, where big cats like cheetah, leopard, and lion have found refuge is well worth it.