Stampriet
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Stampriet
Khoekhoe: ǂĀǂams | |
|---|---|
 Bird's eye view of western part of Stampriet | |
  Stampriet Location in Namibia | |
| Coordinates: 24°20′S 18°24′E / 24.333°S 18.400°E | |
| Country |  Namibia |
| Region | Hardap Region |
| Constituency | Mariental Rural |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 3,388 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (South African Standard Time) |
| Climate | BWh |
Stampriet is a village in the Hardap Region of central Namibia. It had 3,388 inhabitants in 2023.
Stampriet is located 64 km (40 mi) north-east of Mariental and 1,177 m (3,862 ft) above sea level, in a barren area on the upper reaches of the Auob River where humans and animals alike depend on borehole water.[2] Stampriet is the administrative center of the Mariental Rural electoral constituency.[3]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 266 | — |
| 2011 | 1,890 | +4.90% |
| 2023 | 3,388 | +4.98% |
| Source:[1] | ||
History
Stampriet was founded in 1898 as a trading post in what was then German South West Africa. It was the scene of many battles between German and Nama troops. In 1970, the population included 70 whites, 1 mixed-race person, and 195 blacks.
The name Stampriet is an Afrikaans translation of the Khoekhoe name Aams. Given that stamp is Afrikaans for "bump," and riet is Afrikaans for "reed," it is likely named ever after the reeds one must trample to reach the watering hole or as a place where the "reed dance" or Umhlanga (ceremony), the famed royal ritual in southern Africa, was held. At first it was called Stamprietfontein, but the suffix was abandoned later.
Economy and infrastructure
The local boreholes are strong, sometimes yielding up to 3.5 million liters of water a day, allowing local farmers to irrigate grain crops, especially corn and lucerne.
Stampriet is home to Privatskool Elnatan, founded in April 1992, which has 370 students in grades 1 through 12 and 61 staff. Due to the town's small size, 80% of students live in the school's four dormitories, coming from around the country since few private schools in Namibia offer Afrikaans-language education through grade 12. All instruction is in Afrikaans except for the vocational department.