18th century – 19th century
Namibian coast and inland trade networks
The expansion of coastal trade around Walvis Bay connected Namibian communities with European shipping, inland cattle suppliers, and wider commercial networks from the late eighteenth century into the nineteenth century. Whaling, seal hunting, cattle, copper beads, cowrie shells, European glass beads, arms, and ammunition circulated through Walvis Bay and other coastal settlements. The trade increasingly linked the coast with Lake Ngami and the interior.
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The Story
Namibia’s coastal communities had long participated in pre-colonial trade networks, but commerce expanded substantially with the arrival of European shipping and the growth of whaling. By the 1770s, whaling from the Namibian coast had increased the volume of exchange, and whale products became important commodities in Europe and the American colonies. Whalebone served in umbrellas and corsets, while oil was used for lighting, paints, lubricants, and tanning hides.
Walvis Bay stood at the centre of this coastal trade, although Sandwich Harbour and Angra Pequena were also involved. Exchange incorporated older networks: people at ‡Khisa-Igubus near Walvis Bay traded copper beads from inland mountains, cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean, European glass beads from ships, and cattle. Cattle could arrive from very distant areas, and by the 1830s one captain expected to purchase between two and three hundred head.
The coastal economy also depended on marine resources. Whaling peaked between 1790 and 1810 and continued into the 1840s, when stocks became depleted. Shore stations were founded from 1810, while seal hunting also became important. Commercial trade in arms and ammunition existed but did not reach significant proportions until later in the nineteenth century.
The coast was also a focus of imperial competition. Walvis Bay was annexed for the Dutch in 1793, claimed for Britain in 1796, and formally annexed by Britain only in 1878. These successive claims reflected the growing value of offshore trade and the strategic importance of controlling coastal waters, even though the coastline’s apparent barrenness had discouraged earlier European settlement.
18th century – 19th century
Namibian coast and inland trade networks
The expansion of coastal trade around Walvis Bay connected Namibian communities with European shipping, inland cattle suppliers, and wider commercial networks from the late eighteenth century into the nineteenth century. Whaling, seal hunting, cattle, copper beads, cowrie shells, European glass beads, arms, and ammunition circulated through Walvis Bay and other coastal settlements. The trade increasingly linked the coast with Lake Ngami and the interior.
Continue exploring
The Story
Namibia’s coastal communities had long participated in pre-colonial trade networks, but commerce expanded substantially with the arrival of European shipping and the growth of whaling. By the 1770s, whaling from the Namibian coast had increased the volume of exchange, and whale products became important commodities in Europe and the American colonies. Whalebone served in umbrellas and corsets, while oil was used for lighting, paints, lubricants, and tanning hides.
Walvis Bay stood at the centre of this coastal trade, although Sandwich Harbour and Angra Pequena were also involved. Exchange incorporated older networks: people at ‡Khisa-Igubus near Walvis Bay traded copper beads from inland mountains, cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean, European glass beads from ships, and cattle. Cattle could arrive from very distant areas, and by the 1830s one captain expected to purchase between two and three hundred head.
The coastal economy also depended on marine resources. Whaling peaked between 1790 and 1810 and continued into the 1840s, when stocks became depleted. Shore stations were founded from 1810, while seal hunting also became important. Commercial trade in arms and ammunition existed but did not reach significant proportions until later in the nineteenth century.
The coast was also a focus of imperial competition. Walvis Bay was annexed for the Dutch in 1793, claimed for Britain in 1796, and formally annexed by Britain only in 1878. These successive claims reflected the growing value of offshore trade and the strategic importance of controlling coastal waters, even though the coastline’s apparent barrenness had discouraged earlier European settlement.
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