Rosh Pinah is a mining village southwest of Namibia. Mining started in 1969 when the Rosh Pinah Lead-Zinc Mine commenced operations. In 2001 the village received another economic boost when the Anglo Skorpion Zinc Mine started their mining operations. The village that wants to be a town, is growing in size and in terms of the services it provides for residents. Some long-standing locals, like Willie and Annalize Coleman, recall how, in the early days, the village only received delivery of meat and vegetables, a doctor and a priest once a month. Even stranger was the fact that the only bank visited the village every two to three months, which meant residents resorted to borrowing each other’s cheques when they ran out of money. “You would erase the person’s details on the cheque and replace it with your own to draw money from the mine’s cashiers or from the shop,” recalls Willie.

These days the village boasts two banks, supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops and a car rental office. The town has also improved in other ways: Many residential homes have green gardens and many of the houses have recycle bins – a mine initiative to reduce its environmental impact. The most significant aspect of the village is its people. Expect to be welcomed and treated with genuine friendliness by the people who live in this harsh desert landscape.

Apart from being an ideal base from which to explore surrounding areas, the village has a few of its own attractions: a golf and tennis club, an open-air museum and a number of accommodation options. The gravel road between Rosh Pinah and Aus has also recently been tarred. 

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