Why Almost Nobody Lives on This HUGE Stretch of Africa's Coast

Diamonds paid for houses, a hospital, a school — even drinking water shipped across the ocean. So why did Namibia's desert towns end up empty? CHAPTERS 00:00 A town swallowed by sand 01:02 Water across the desert 02:03 The diamond discovery 04:53 The forbidden coast 07:20 Why families left 10:28 The mine stops 11:39 Work moves south 13:48 The bridge that changed the route 15:58 Why Walvis Bay survives 17:32 A different way to supply water 19:54 The workplace moves offshore 23:15 An open town on a restricted coast 24:38 What keeps a town alive? Cora follows the story of Kolmanskop from the first diamond discovery to the families who left. The trail leads through the restricted Sperrgebiet, a new town farther south, and a bridge that changed an entire supply route. Then we look at the places that kept working: Walvis Bay, Oranjemund, modern desalination, and diamond recovery vessels offshore. The desert is only part of the answer. The real question is what gives people a reason to stay. What would make you move to a town built around one employer — and what would make you leave? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to Cora Elsewhere for documentary stories about unusual places, the people who built them, and the systems that keep them alive. #Namibia #Kolmanskop #Documentary