The history of Namibia under South African occupation began with the entry of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n troops to German South West Africa on 9 July, 1915 as part of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. It lasted until Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

's independence on 21 March, 1990.

Namibia prior to occupation

Much of the area known as Namibia was brought under the control of the German Empire

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 under a mandate from the Berlin Conference

Berlin Conference

The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period, and coincided with Germany's sudden emergence as an imperial power...

 of 1885.

Economy

Namibia experienced significant economic development during South African occupation, albeit almost entirely at the expense of Namibians and in favor of South Africa. An example of such development is the Hardap Dam

Hardap Dam

Hardap Dam is a dam close to Mariental, Hardap Region, Namibia. Created in 1962 while Namibia was under South African occupation, Hardap Dam is the largest Dam in the country. The reservoir dams the Fish River and has a surface area of 25 km²...

, which was built in 1962. It provides and provided South African farmers with a consistent source of water.