Sheebeen Culture in Northern Namibia

Club Shandy Bar

The sheebeen culture is prominent to northern Namibia and our time in Oniipa suggests this. A sheebeen can simply be defined as an unlicensed drinking establishment. However, the meaning in the Namibian context is different in that most sheebeens are now legal, so they can essentially be considered bars.Sheebeens and other bars are scattered along the main street in Oniipa and play an important role in everyday life in the town. Some people sit outside of the bars talking and enjoying their time in a very casual atmosphere. Beers are cheap and locally brewed beers extremely cheap. Local beers are typically made from the sorghum plant, while some can be prepared from the mahangu grain.

The names of the sheebeens and bars have provided great amusement to our group and it is often a wonder as to how they came about. Some of our favorites are as follows: We Like Sheebeen, Lucky Special Sheebeen, Waka Dog Bar, Happy Bar, Mr LifeBar, Days of our Life Bar, Town Life Bar, Professor Bar, The Bar, Sun Set Bar, VIP Bar, Plan B Bar, Eden Bar House, Mad Dogs Bar, Cool Life Bar, Reality Bar, Ostrich Bar, New Vision Bar, Vuvuzela Bar, New York City Bar, Las Vegas Bar and Good Struggle Never Lose Bar.