Otavi
title: "Otavi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["towns-in-namibia", "populated-places-in-the-otjozondjupa-region"] topic_path: "general/towns-in-namibia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otavi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Otavi |
| native_name | Otjitavi |
| nickname | otavio |
| settlement_type | Town |
| motto | Volhard en Oorwin |
| image_skyline | Otavi (2018).jpg |
| imagesize | 300px |
| image_caption | Aerial view of Otavi (2018) |
| image_seal | Wappen Otavi - Namibia.png |
| pushpin_map | Namibia |
| pushpin_label_position | bottom |
| pushpin_mapsize | 300 |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Namibia |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Namibia |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Otjozondjupa Region |
| subdivision_type2 | Constituency |
| subdivision_name2 | Otavi Constituency |
| leader_title1 | |
| established_title | |
| unit_pref | Imperial |
| area_total_km2 | 428 |
| area_land_km2 | |
| population_as_of | 2023 census |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 10,756 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_blank1_title | Ethnicities |
| timezone | SAST |
| utc_offset | +2 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| postal_code_type | |
| blank_name | Climate |
| blank_info | BSh |
| :: |
|name = Otavi
|other_name =
|native_name = Otjitavi
|nickname = otavio
|settlement_type = Town
|motto = Volhard en Oorwin
|image_skyline = Otavi (2018).jpg
|imagesize = 300px
|image_caption = Aerial view of Otavi (2018)
|image_flag =
|flag_size =
|image_seal = Wappen Otavi - Namibia.png
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|pushpin_map = Namibia
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_mapsize =300
|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Namibia
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Namibia
|subdivision_type1 = Region
|subdivision_name1 = Otjozondjupa Region
|subdivision_type2 = Constituency
|subdivision_name2 = Otavi Constituency
|subdivision_type3 =
|subdivision_name3 =
|government_footnotes =
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|leader_title1 =
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|unit_pref =Imperial
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_km2 = 428
|area_land_km2 =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_total_sq_mi =
|population_as_of = 2023 census
|population_footnotes =
|population_note =
|population_total = 10,756
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_metro =
|population_density_metro_km2 =
|population_density_metro_sq_mi =
|population_urban =
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|population_density_urban_sq_mi =
|population_blank1_title =Ethnicities
|population_blank1 =
|population_density_blank1_km2 =
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| timezone = SAST
| utc_offset = +2
|timezone_DST =
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|coordinates =
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft =
|postal_code_type =
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|blank_name = Climate
|blank_info = BSh
|blank1_name =
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|footnotes =
Otavi is a town with 10,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. Situated 360 km north of Windhoek, it is the district capital of the Otavi electoral constituency.
Geography
The towns of Otavi, Tsumeb (to the north) and Grootfontein (to the northeast) define an area known as the "Otavi Triangle", also known as the Otavi Mountainland. This geographical region is sometimes referred to as the "Golden Triangle", or as the "maize Triangle", owing to the cultivation of maize in the area. The three towns that define the triangle are roughly 60 km from each other.
Most of the area is dolomitic (Precambrian) and the district was renowned for its mineral wealth in the past. Most of the deposits have now been exhausted. Elefantenberg (elephant mountain), a mountain 1,624 meters above sea level, is located about 7 km south of Otavi.
Economy and infrastructure
Much of the town's economy relies on the two grocery stores, a mill, two banks, two gas stations, and many surrounding game/cattle farms, as well as a handful of other small business. The owners of most of these businesses are Afrikaners (white Africans or Boer, ultimately Dutch in heritage) or Germans.
Due to financial mismanagement, Otavi lost its town status in 2004 and was downgraded to "village". After revenue picked up again, town status was reinstated in November 2010. With the foundation of the Ohorongo Cement factory and the Otjikoto mine, operated by B2Gold, business and employment rate has been recovering.{{cite news |last = ǃHoaës |first = Irene |title = Otavi making a U-turn |newspaper = New Era |date = 19 November 2010 |url = http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=14191 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130219044725/http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=14191 |archive-date = 19 February 2013 |url-status = usurped
Transport
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Elefantenberg,Namibia(2014).jpg" caption="B1]] (2014)"] ::
Otavi is a railway junction where the line from Windhoek to Oshikango branches off the line to Grootfontein. The town is served by the Otavi railway station.
Otavi is situated next to the B1 - the longest National Road, running the length of Namibia - about 370 km from the capital, Windhoek.
History
On July 1, 1915, the German Army was defeated at Otavi by South African troops; on July 9 they surrendered nearby and signed the Khorab Peace Treaty. A public monument to this event was erected in 1973 outside of Otavi.
During the South African Border War SWASpes, the 1 SWA Specialist Unit was based here, moving from Oshivelo in 1979. The unit consisted of horse mounted troops, dog trackers, human trackers and motorcycle units to hunt insurgents.
Politics
Otavi is governed by a town council that has seven seats.
The 2015 local authority election was won by SWAPO which gained six seats and 957 votes. The remaining seat went to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) which gained 79 votes. SWAPO also won the 2020 local authority election. It obtained 1,092 votes and gained five seats. One seat each went to the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC, an opposition party formed in August 2020) and to the Landless People's Movement (LPM, an opposition party formed in 2016) with 260 and 167 votes, respectively.
Education
Otavi has three schools, namely: Otavi Primary School, Khorab Senior Secondary School and the Deutsche Privatschule Otavi-Namibia. Previously the German Regierungsschule Otavi (Government School Otavi) was situated in Otavi.
References
References
- "Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011)". Namibia Statistics Agency.
- "2023 Population & Housing Census Preliminary Report".
- [http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/ak334e/ak334e00.htm FAO/WFP CROP, LIVESTOCK AND FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO NAMIBIA]
- [https://mapcarta.com/de/19061122 Mapcarta]
- (2018-12-02). "Otavi steel manufacturing plant to boost construction industry in Namibia".
- "Imperial German Forces forced to unconditional surrender by Union of South Africa Forces during World War I". South African History Online.
- (2015). "Know Your Local Authority". Institute for Public Policy Research.
- (28 November 2015). "Local elections results". [[Electoral Commission of Namibia]].
- (1 April 2021). "Publication of results and particulars in respect of general elections for local authority councils: Electoral Act, 2014". [[Government of Namibia]].
- "[http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/04/036/0403672.pdf Deutscher Bundestag 4. Wahlperiode Drucksache IV/3672]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160312191648/http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/04/036/0403672.pdf Archive]). [[Bundestag]] (West Germany). 23 June 1965. Retrieved on 12 March 2016. p. 32/51.
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