Among the OvaHimba of Namibia's Kaokoland, herding livestock falls within the domain of men and constitutes their principal economic activity. The cultivation of maize, however, falls within the economic domain of women. Maize is, in real terms, the staple food of the Himba. Yet, in spite of the Himba's real dependency on maize, it is a low status food, because its cultivation and preparation are considered to be singularly female activities. Conceptually, for a Himba to be properly nourished he must have milk and meat.
