Invading the Namibian Blogosphere

In 2013, it comes as no surprise that everyone and their cat has a blog these days. (I wish I was exaggerating, but… Americans do the darnedest things.) Blogs, which originated as online diaries or journals, have taken the digital world by storm over the past 20 or so years. The history of blogging can be traced back as far as the early 1990s, but the term ‘weblog’ was officially coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger. This was later shortened to ‘blog’, a word we now use as a verb “to blog” and as a n

There are a number of sites which host blogs such as Blogger, Tumblr and WordPress to mention a few. Different host sites offer different features to bloggers. Depending on what kind of blog you’re interested in running, the features these host sites offer may appeal more or less to you. Some host sites offer you their services for free, while others charge you a monthly fee. Explore the internet and read up on what the different host sites can offer you before you make the commitment. On some host sites, you can even turn your blog into your very own domain (your own dot com) for a monthly fee.

Take the time to think about what it is you want and need from your blog and its host site and make your decision from there.

Being a blogger myself, there are quite a few blogs I read religiously, and this list has been growing over the past few months. Blogs like kingxnova.tumblr.com and inbetweenlove.tumblr.com, if I am absolutely forced to choose just two. But I’ve noticed that Namibian blogs are in the minority on that list. This made me wonder… Where are all our Namibian bloggers hiding?

I’ve thus made it my personal mission to find good Namibian blogs. After scouring the internet high and low, I compiled a diverse, interesting and entertaining list. From budding poets to fierce fashionistas and natural hair bloggers, the Namibian blogosphere has a lot to offer you, if you know where to look. So whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own blog, or just for a good read, look no further. Here are 10 Namibian bloggers whose pages are definitely worth a bookmark…

From Me To You – Tips for the Up-and-Coming-Blogger

• As much as it is a talent you’re born with, writing is a skill which you can teach yourself. The more you write, the better you’ll get. It may be cliché, but practise truly makes perfect. Keep writing. Master the language you’re writing in. Whether you have a fashion blog, a personal blog or a food blog, people need to be able to understand what you’re trying to tell them. Work on writing English (or Afrikaans, or German, or Oshiwambo…) well.

• Update your blog regularly. Whether you post every day, once a week or once every two weeks, just keep writing! The moment readers see that your blog isn’t updated on a regular basis, their interest wanes.

• Do not write for anyone’s sake but your own. Write to get your story out there. Forget about what the Jones’s are doing and focus on YOU.

• This is your chance to be selfish. It’s your blog and your space, do what you feel like doing.

• Interact with your readers. Whether you make yourself available via email, on Facebook or Twitter, make sure that your readers can communicate with you. Not only will they be able to tell you what they like about your blog, they will also be able to tell you what they don’t like. Use any criticism constructively and allow it to make you better, not bitter.

Check out my blog at www.sugary-oblivion.blogspot.com or follow me on Twitter at @SugaryOblivion.

Vakwetu Style

My name is… Sean Kamati

I am… 24

My day job is… Fashion Editor/Musician

I blog at… www.vakwetu.com

I’ve been blogging since… Well, technically 2010. (The blog was started in 2010 by Niita Emvula and is a project run by the Have Plenty Media agency. I was appointed as the fashion editor in January 2012.)

My blog’s name… Niita came up with the name Vakwetu. She said it was a no brainer.

Behind the name… Vakwetu is more than a blog. It is a brand, of which the website is one aspect. The motto of Vakwetu is “do everything with style, whether that is how you dress, work or cook. Life is hard so get some fabulosity into it.”

My blog is… A combination of African street style, fashion and lifestyle.

Namibians should read my blog because… It’s a fabulous representation of Namibian and African styles, we have over 100 000 worldwide views and have I mentioned our Pinterest boards?

Blogger’s advice: Perseverance is key. There are a million blogs out there. Pick a niche and hone in on it. Decide on your message and what you’re trying to say.

These Words are a Gift as Well as a Curse

My name is… Bognahn Tarryn Moller

My day job is… Journalism student

I blog at… www.write-my-curses-in-cursive.blogspot.com

I’ve been blogging since… November 2012