Daily Life

Time Zone

Namibia observes daylight savings time during its summer, which is winter in the Northern hemisphere. Therefore, Namibia is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time from October through April, and five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time during our daylight savings time. The exception to this occurs in September and October (before the daylight savings switch in the Northern hemisphere) when there is a six-hour difference due to Namibia’s varied daylight savings time schedule.

Weather

Namibia is in the southern hemisphere and seasons are the opposite of North America. The following are average temperatures, not the extremes. As in the U.S., weather patterns can vary frequently.

January-March: Average high is 80-88°F; average low is 59-63°F. Namibia is a very dry county, with most the rainfall occurring during the months of January, February and March.

  • April-August: Average high is 68-77°F; average low is 43-55°F.

  • September-October: Average high is 75-85°F; average low is 55-60°F.

  • November-January: Average high is 85-88°F; average low is 60-64°F.

  • Outside of Windhoek, temperatures are likely to be 5-10 degrees higher, with the western coast being somewhat cooler.

Money

Most participants find that USD $200 to $300 is sufficient spending money for a one-to-two week seminar. Of course, how much you bring will depend on your personal spending habits. Remember that all meals and program expenses are included in your travel seminar cost.

ATM cards are the most convenient way to obtain cash in the local currency. Traveler’s checks and U.S. cash can at times be difficult to exchange into the local currency, except at airports and tourist centers. It is helpful to have some cash in small currency (ones and fives). Try to bring new bills, as some past participants have encountered difficulty in changing bills that are worn, written upon, or torn. CGEE strongly encourages you to bring a money belt.

Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted in many stores. Important: It is a good idea to call your credit card company to let them know that you will be using your card outside of the country for a set time. Some people encounter trouble using a credit card abroad because the credit card company assumes the card is stolen. We strongly encourage you to bring a money belt.

For current information concerning exchange rates, visit http://www.xe.com, as exchange rates for Namibia can fluctuate.