The Portuguese first arrived in the area of Namibe in 1485. The region was named Moçamêdes and was the first district to be created in southern Angolan. The organized exploitation of the region's natural Resources and Investment began in 1849 with the arrival of the first Brazilian settlers.

Namibe is the third most important harbor in Angola and has the potential to become one of the most important harbors on the western coast of Africa. Today the harbor is mostly used for the exportation of fish caught in the waters off the coast as well as for agricultural goods grown in neighboring Huila province. Namibe industries include fishing, the production of flour, oils and a cannery. Fishing remains the cornerstone of Namibe's Economy and the industry as well as the production of seafood products continues to grow and expand. The majority of the fish caught are dried and salted with the balance being frozen or used for meal, oils and in the cannery. The waters off the coast are also Home to famous crab and mussels. Farming and the mining of marble and granite also have great potential.

Namibe has asphalt roads that link the capital to Tombwa, Lucira and Lubango. The harbor in Namibe is comprised of a commercial port as well as a mineral port for handling bulky minerals (largely iron ore) and fuels. The commercial port is divided into different areas for long course navigation and local traffic. The port itself is served by 15 kilometers of railway that link it to the Benguela railway system and thus to eastern Angola. Construction of the mineral port was completed in 1967 and represents a world-class engineering feat. Excellent physical conditions allow it to moor ships of 150,000 tons. It also has an airport designed to meet international standards.

In the province of Namibe the sea, desert and savanna meet, providing breathtaking scenery and probably the best climate on the Angolan coast. Between Namibe and Tombwa may be found the Welvitchia mirabilis, a unique desert plant that looks like a giant octopus. The Namibe desert is excellent for hunting while the coast provides spectacular beaches. About 150 kilometers from the capital is the county of Bibala, a beautiful retreat area known for its medicinal waters. The Iona National Park, located about 200 kilometers from Namibe, was an animal paradise, rich in big game. Unfortunately the fauna has been reduced as a result of illegal hunting and poaching. Efforts are now underway to replace some of Iona's lost wildlife.

Tombwa, another city on the Namibe coast, is the second largest demographic center and the largest fishing port in the province. The city was discovered by Diogo Cao in 1485 in his third voyage along the African coast. Cao named the inlet Angra das Aldeias because of the big fishing villages he found there. The first official name-Porto Alexandre-came from the name of the British explorer James Edward Alexander who came to Benguela (which was then part of the present province of Namibe) in 1834. After independence the name was changed to Tombwa, the local name for the Welvitchia Mirabilis. It is located 45 miles south of Namibe, in a splendid cut of the coast. The first colonists to settle there were fishermen from Algarve who came in 1860, and began to export goods to the more northern ports and to nearby countries including Congo, São Tome and Gabon.