Ondjiva

---

title: "Ondjiva" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-cunene-province", "communes-in-cunene-province", "provincial-capitals-in-angola", "rhenish-mission-stations-in-oukwanyama", "catholic-mission-stations-in-oukwanyama"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-cunene-province" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondjiva" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Ondjiva
other_name	Vila Pereira d'Eça
native_name
settlement_type	Commune
pushpin_map	Angola
pushpin_label_position	right
pushpin_mapsize	300
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Angola
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Angola
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	Cunene
subdivision_type2	Municipality
subdivision_name2	Cuanhama
leader_title1
established_title
area_total_km2	2100
area_land_km2
population_as_of	2014
population_footnotes
population_total	187914
population_density_km2	auto
population_blank1_title	Ethnicities
timezone	WAT
utc_offset	+1
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	1098
blank_name_sec1	Climate
blank_info_sec1	BSh
postal_code_type
::

|name = Ondjiva |other_name = Vila Pereira d'Eça |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = Commune |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Angola |pushpin_label_position =right |pushpin_mapsize =300 |pushpin_map_caption =Location in Angola |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Angola |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Cunene |subdivision_type2 = Municipality |subdivision_name2 = Cuanhama |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = | |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = |established_title =
|established_date = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 2100 |area_land_km2 = |population_as_of =2014 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total =187914 |population_density_km2 =auto |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title =Ethnicities |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi = |timezone =WAT |utc_offset = +1 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 1098 |elevation_ft = |blank_name_sec1 = Climate |blank_info_sec1 = BSh |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes =

Ondjiva, formerly Vila Pereira d'Eça, is a town, with a population of 121,537 (2014), and a commune in the municipality of Cuanhama, province of Cunene, Angola. It is also the administrative capital of Cunene Province and is located at the extreme south of the country, about 42 km from the border with Namibia. It was traditionally the seat of the Ovambo king of the Oukwanyama tribe. Ondjiva was greatly affected by the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002).

History

Mission station

The Ondjiva mission station was established first in 1891 by Friedrich Meisenholl and August Wulfhorst of the Rhenish Mission Society, and with the help of Friedrich Bernsmann and with the permission of King Weyulu Hedimbi. They thought that Ondjiva would have been in the territory of German South West Africa, which later turned out not to be the case. The following year they established the mission station of Omupanda.

Meisenholl stayed in Ondjiva for some four years, before he had to leave due to a serious illness. Wilhelm Stahlhut came to replace him in the mid-1890s. Stahlhut’s three children died in Africa, and finally he himself fell ill with blackwater fever and died in Outjo on 1 May 1900. His widow stayed for many years, first in Oukwanyama and then in Hereroland.

In August 1915, King Mandume had the mission station burned, and the Germans had to flee to Ondonga in South West Africa.

Ondjiva later became a Catholic mission and the see of the bishop of the Ondjiva Diocese. Fernando Guimaraes Kevanu was the bishop until 2011, and he was to be succeeded by Rev. Pio Hipunyati.

Angolan Civil War

Ondjiva was largely destroyed during the Angolan Civil War. The administration of the city operated from Huíla Province, and in theory ruled Cunene Province in exile. Most of the population left the city by 1989, and by 1999 was home to fewer than 5,000 residents. Reconstruction efforts began after the advent of peace in 2002. Ondjiva initially experienced slow population growth but saw a significant return of its residents and new migration from other regions of Angola, notably from Huíla Province from 1998 and 2000.

Demographics

Ondjiva has traditionally been a center of the Kwanyama, Oshikwanyama being a standardized dialect of the Oshiwambo language. The resettlement of the city after the Angolan Civil War saw an influx of people from other areas of the country, notably Huíla Province. 30.4 per cent of the residents of the city speak Portuguese, significantly lower than that in the capital of Luanda. 28.2 per cent of the population speak Kwanhama.

Geography

Neighborhoods

Ondjiva consists of 12 neighborhoods, or bairros.

• Pioneiro Zeca I
• Pioneiro Zeca II
• Bangula I
• Bangula II
• Kafito I
• Kafito II
• Kachila I
• Kachila II
• Naipalala I
• Naipalala II
• Castilhos
• Kakuluvale

Transport

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Aeroporto_11_de_Novembro,_Ondjiva.jpg" caption="Ondjiva Pereira Airport, 2008"] ::

Ondjiva is served by Ondjiva Pereira Airport, also known as Aeroporto 11 de Novembro. The airport is located to the northwest of the city center. It is served by TAAG Angola Airlines with connections to Luanda, Catumbela, and Kuito.

A planned rail connection to Namibia on the Moçâmedes Railway remains unbuilt.

Annual Trade Fair

Ondjiva holds annual 15-day trade fair in July. During this time exhibition are organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service.

Notable people

• Marcelina Vahekeni, Miss Angola 2012, delegate to the Miss Universe 2012 pageant

References

References

1. [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/angola/communes/admin/ Citypopulation.de] Population of provinces and communes in Angola
3. [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/angola/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of the major cities in Angola
4. Peltola, Matti. (1958). "Sata vuotta suomalaista lähetystyötä 1859–1959. II: Suomen Lähetysseuran Afrikan työn historia". The Finnish Missionary Society.
5. (2005). "Plano de Urbanização da Cidade de Ondjiva". República de Angola.
6. (2011-11-23). "AFRICA/ANGOLA — Resignation of the Bishop of Ondjiva and appointment of successor". Agenzia fides. Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927.
7. (2007). "From Family Solidarity to Social Classes: Urban Stratification in Angola (Luanda and Ondjiva)*". Journal of Southern African Studies.
8. (2016). "Ondjiva". TAAG Angolan Airlines.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::