Povanhu is a word from Oshikwanyama and means:

among the people • through the people • with the people

 

Povanhu is a young company that was founded at the Center for African Studies at the University of Basel. The founding members from Namibia and Switzerland have worked together on many university projects and want to give new impetus to tourism in Namibia. Our trips are planned  and carried out with our sister organisation in Namibia, Povanhu History and Heritage Tours CC, which is majority owned by Namibians.

 

We believe that one should do less but more enriching long-distance travel. This is why we and our Namibian partners offer inclusive thematic specialist trips. These trips are intended to provide a post-colonial experience in a country that is still shaped by colonialism and apartheid. We want to enable our customers to experience the diversity of past and present social and cultural worlds in a country in the Global South.

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What defines us?

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• We enable travellers to gain a current, inclusive and diverse picture of Namibia’s past and present.

• We put people at the center of our tourism experience.

• We invite travellers to understand what the country means to Namibians.

• We support emerging small entrepreneurs and local initiatives that operate outside the conventional paths of Namibian tourism.

 

Our tours enable travellers to have access to and engage in personal exchanges with scientists, activists, artists and experts in Namibia and Switzerland.