Namibian-German relations are multifaceted and close. Dealing with the horrors suffered by the Herero and Nama peoples in the war from 1904-08 during colonial rule in the former colony German South West Africa is a major priority.

Development cooperation also reflects this special relationship. During intergovernmental negotiations in June 2023, some 342 million euro were pledged in the form of grants and low-interest loans. The German Olympic Sports Confederation supports social projects in Namibia, above all in the area of athletics, with the assistance of the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and GIZ.

In 2021, Namibia imported goods to the value of 55.5 million euro from Germany, primarily foods, machinery and electrical engineering products. The country exports mainly foods and metals to Germany to the tune of 262 million euro. Foreign investment currently focuses on projects to produce green hydrogen and on the tourism sector.

Cultural and academic relations are broad-based. The Goethe-Institut, the bilingual German-Namibian School DHPS Windhoek, nine partner schools and the Deutsche Welle are involved in considerable language and programme work. German universities collaborate with the University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Along with European partners and UNAM, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg operates the High-Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) telescope in the Khomas Highland in central Namibia. The Federal Foreign Office helps fund cultural preservation in Namibia.