A guide to grocery shopping in Namibia for travellers
- The Advanced Car Hire Team
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
Namibia is geographically huge, and most of the iconic destinations have nothing nearby in terms of decent shops. So for that reason, it's generally recommended to get the food and supplies sorted before you leave town. Trust me, it will saves you a lot of inconvenience later.
Stocking up in Windhoek
In Windhoek, your go-to for a full stock-up is the Checkers at The Grove Mall of Namibia. Checkers outlets are the default for most locals here in Namibia, known for being versatile and balancing a wide variety of everyday grocery items, fresh produce, random bits and pieces and affordable prices.
As for the Grove Mall part, it's the biggest mall in Namibia and, weirdly, the one that gets the least packed compared to the other two big malls (Wernhil Park and Maerua Mall). If there's anything you can't find in Checkers, there are three other superstores clustered in the same building (SuperSpar, Game and Woolworths), with Food Lover's Market right across the parking lot if you're still missing something.
American /European equivalents of Namibian supermarkets
If you're travelling to Africa for the first time and don't know what any of these names mean, here's our comparison of the USA and European equivalents of Namibian supermarkets:
Game = Walmart / Target
Spar = Kroger / Safeway
Checkers = Publix (US) / Tesco / Sainsbury's (UK)
Food Lover's Market = Whole Foods / Trader Joe's / Wegmans
Woolworths = Marks & Spencer
Pick n Pay = Tesco (UK) / Albertsons (US)
Wernhil in the CBD has Model, Checkers, Food Lover's Market and Woolworths within walking distance, but fair warning, it can get a little chaotic. Then there's Maerua Mall, which has the biggest Checkers outlet in the country and a Woolworths. Opposite Maerua Mall is the biggest SuperSpar in town, right across the street at Maerua Lifestyle Centre.
Heading north (Etosha, Caprivi)
For trips heading north, Otjiwarongo is most likely the last big stop. It has a properly well-stocked Spar. Theo's SuperSpar is famously regarded as THE road-trip grocery stop for any trip heading north. It's practically a national landmark at this point.
Outjo is your last shop before Etosha's southern gate. The OK Foods there is fine for basics, and Delaray Butchery as you come into town does decent meat for braais inside the park.
One thing to keep in mind though: you're allowed to bring raw meat into Etosha, but you can't take any leftover raw meat out, because of the veterinary cordon fences. So plan your meals around what you bring, because the border gates will confiscate raw meat on the way out.
As for the eastern side, Tsumeb is the equivalent.
Heading south and southwest (Sossusvlei, Fish River, the Kalahari)
Heading south or southwest out of Windhoek, do your main shop in the capital before you leave, because everything past it only carries basics and you'll always end up missing something specific. Rehoboth is your last proper town with fuel and supermarkets close to the city, so top up there if you didn't sort everything in Windhoek.
After that it depends on direction. For Sossusvlei via the passes, Solitaire is the main fuel stop on the way to Sesriem, with a basic general store and McGregor's Bakery. I wouldn't treat that general store as a real stop though, rather as somewhere for emergencies and snacks. Sesriem itself is just snacks and fuel at the Engen service station, plus the NWR shop with a very limited selection at marked-up prices. The same goes for the shops inside Etosha and the other camps.
For Fish River Canyon and the deep south, you've got Kalkrand for a quick top-up, Mariental for a solid Spar and Shoprite shop, and then Keetmanshoop as your last stock-up before the canyon. For the Kalahari, it's the same B1 run through Mariental, then Stampriet as the final top-up before you head into the dunes.
A few things to note
Okay, now that you know where to stop for groceries, here are a couple of things to keep at the back of your mind. Off-premises licence alcohol sales in Namibia are generally prohibited on Sundays or public holidays, so if you want wine or beer for a Sunday night braai, you might want to get those beforehand.
Most supermarkets in Namibia run roughly 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday with reduced Sunday hours.
Tap water in the main towns is safe to drink, but a lot of camping travellers buy a 5L bottle and refill smaller ones through the day. Ice is easy to find at fuel stations and supermarkets.
FAQ : Grocery shopping in Namibia
1) Where should I buy groceries for a Namibia self-drive trip?
Do your main grocery shop in Windhoek before you leave the city, because most of Namibia's iconic destinations have nothing decent nearby. The Checkers at Grove Mall is the easiest full stock-up, and if you can't find something there, SuperSpar, Game, Woolworths and Food Lover's Market are all in the same complex.
2) Can I bring meat into Etosha National Park?
You can bring raw meat into Etosha, but you can't take any leftover raw meat back out because of the veterinary cordon fences. Plan your meals around what you bring, since the gates will confiscate raw meat on the way out.
3) Where is the last shop before Sossusvlei?
Rehoboth is the last proper town with supermarkets on the road south, so stock up there if you didn't finish in Windhoek. Once you turn off towards Sesriem there's nothing real: Solitaire has a small general store for snacks and emergencies (and the famous apple pie), and Sesriem itself is just fuel and the NWR shop with a limited selection at marked-up prices.
4) Can you buy alcohol on Sundays in Namibia?
Off-premises licence alcohol sales in Namibia are generally prohibited on Sundays or public holidays. This applies across supermarkets and bottle stores countrywide.
5) Is the tap water safe to drink in Namibia?
Tap water in Namibia's main towns is safe to drink. A lot of camping travellers still buy a 5L bottle and refill smaller ones through the day, mostly for convenience out on the road rather than for safety.
