"Very few people own cars – most commute on foot" The minimum wage here is 2.36 Namibian which equates to less than $.50 US currency. Wages are paid on a monthly basis on the last day of the month. 95% of business is handled in cash.
Electric is pre-paid – you go to the electric company store and buy increments of electric. The receipt for payment has codes listed on it which you input into your meter. So you have to keep a close watch on your meter to make sure you don’t run out over the weekend. Not everyone has electric – this, too, is for the more fortunate. Candles are used for light in most homes. Cell phones and internet are also prepaid services. You purchase “recharge” cards, available at most stores in increments of 10, 50, or 100 minutes. The cards have a scratch off box which provides the code to activate the newly purchased airtime. The internet is run via cell phone towers.
The exchange rate from US to Namibian is running around 10%. Very few people own cars – most commute on foot. It would take more than a month’s wages for someone to buy a bicycle here. The cheapest one I’ve seen was priced at 800 Namibian ($100 US).
1 comment:
Hi Tina!
Wow - we are sooo spoiled here and would complain about every hangnail. I'm sure you will be rich with new appreciation for the things we take for granted.
As you battle the heat with mulitiple daily showers, we prepare for Thanksgiving with snow on the ground and temps in the teens. brrr.
So glad we finally have contact & pictures, keep them coming as much as you can with the limits on resources. I know you are a blessing to the effort there, and hope that blessings to you be as abundent as you give. Take Care. Don
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