In Swakopmund, daily life is structured mostly through movement – it is a place which is defined predominantly through distance. In other ways, however, it is also spoken about through intimacy, ie, the closeness of two people. These are clearly demonstrated through, for example, the relationships that men build with each other. In an environment in which men are mostly quite removed from their own kinship networks, having often travelled large distances in order to be present in Swakopmund, persons develop local networks which are based on both opportunity and personal preference. Sometimes, these relationships between men challenge ideas of what we might consider to be normative ideas of homosexuality, involve very intimate male bonding; for example, sex, washing and other forms of physical closeness. Yet they also clearly revolve around notions of gift-giving and mutual support, which often take presidence over the more sexual aspects.
This paper does two things: firstly it briefly introduces the context of male relationships in Swakopmund; these are clearly not built on trust but on distance and information control. Secondly, it describes the idea of friendship in Swakopmund which although fragile and at times volatile, and having strong physical elements, are more concerned with the building and maintainence of trust through the materiality of giving.