Traditionally the Herero have raised cattle and other livestock in and around smaller towns. As with many other ethnic groups in Namibia, cattle are the bling by which one's social and economic standing are judged. Today, many Herero have moved to cities like Windhoek to earn a living. City-dwelling Hereros still seem to yearn for the agricultural lifestyle, though, and on Fridays near my house I can see many Herero people waiting for buses or rides in overloaded private cars to return to their families in the village.
The way I can tell that many of the women who leave town are Herero is by their dresses. They are Victorian-style, with tight bodices, large puffy sleeves, and heavy skirts under which are many layers of petticoats. They tend to be brightly colored and very creatively designed. In fact, Namibia holds a contest annually for the best design and craftsmanship in sewing traditional Herero dresses. This past November, an 18-year old named McBright Kavari was named the winner (for the third time) of the 2011 Otjiherero traditional dress design competition. Another blog, Saharan Vibe, has posted many lovely pictures of Herero women in traditional dresses and even a short video that demonstrates their variety and creativity.
Photo from The Namibian Sun
Of course, not all Herero woman wear traditional dresses. However, many do--even young women--as a sign of pride in their cultural identity. It's common to see city-dwelling Herero women wearing modern clothes during the work week but traditional dresses for family gatherings such as weddings and funerals or for holidays such as Herero Day in late August.
This Victorian style of dress shows the influence of missionaries who came to south west Africa in the mid 1800s and promptly "corrected" the locals on their "state of nudity." Prior to this, Herero women wore skirts made of animal skin and a three-cornered hat with fancy stitching or beads on it. The earlier style of hat as well as the headdresses of the Victorian-style outfits pay homage to the importance of cattle in Herero culture. (For a nice article about the origins and evolution of the Herero headdress, see this link to a piece from The Namibian Sun.) Also, here's a YouTube video about how to make a Herero hat.