Staff Reporter
IT is that time of the year again when the Oshakati Town Council hosts the northern town’s biggest event, which combines culture, business, and entertainment: the Annual Totem Expo.
Launched in 2012, the Totem Expo has since become a yearly celebration of local traditions, mostly showcasing the use of botanical and zoological symbols to represent various Ovawambo clans.
The totems serve as clan-specific symbols and emblems, associating and connecting the clan to nature.
The Totem Expo serves as a platform to showcase the significance of the various totems.
It also offers opportunities for businesses to market their products and services.
FLASHBACK: The Elephant and Zebra clans during a street parade.
The 2025 Oshakati Totem Expo takes place at the Oshakati Independence Stadium from 30 May to 7 June under the theme “Celebrating Culture, Unity, and Heritage.”
It has been hosted yearly since 2012, except during the three COVID-19 pandemic years — 2020 to 2022.
According to the organizers, the event attracts approximately 25,000 visitors each year, making it one of the biggest cultural events in Namibia.
Visitors include members of local communities, tourists, cultural enthusiasts, businesses, and government representatives.
A gala dinner, which took place on Saturday, was among others attended by Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare.
The first day of the event, 30 May, will be characterized by musical performances by Namibia’s highly established artists.
The official opening ceremony takes place on 31 May, the same day as the praising and dance competition by cultural groups.
The Miss Womalenga Beauty Pageant — the first-ever cultural beauty pageant to feature mature ladies from the age of 35 — will also take place on 31 May.
There will also be a boxing bonanza and the characteristic Ohungi (storytelling and history), singing and dancing competitions, as well as the Miss Totem Beauty Pageant and Mr Totem Bodybuilding Show.
The entrance fee is N$40 for adults and N$20 for children.
