http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Strangers-Vagabonds-Journey-Tramping/dp/1935850016/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315065019&sr=8-1

Although for the classic African hitchhikes, the route from Windhoek to Sossusvlei and Fish River you’ll probably find yourself walking more than actually being picked up. Pretty remote corners of Namibia there.  

Yes, it’s ultimately true that safety is beyond our control and there is chance involved, there are ways to be careful about it without being naive.

I don’t advocating doing it all the time or relying on it as the only means of getting around. There are risks, but it’s an alternative for adventure-minded travelers.

Now that doesn’t mean that hitchhiking is the

My best advice is to trust your guts, learn some street smarts which includes knowing how to perceive scenarios. Having the ability to quickly judge personalities comes in handy too. Some people just read BAD NEWS on their faces or in their demeanor. Whenever I go partying (here or in Canada), I always meet lots of interesting peeps and I’m usually invited to a house after party or other kool events which allows me to network even more. But before I even go anywhere, I’m able to judge people based on their demeanor, and also by observing what they DO and don’t do.

For female travelers, try to befriend other female locals as well as couples/families. By all means visit local campuses and hang around Arts & Crafts bazaars where you’ll meet interesting “artsy” free-spirited peeps.
Visit schools (primary, secondary, etc.) and say hello to the administrators and teachers. Who knows, you might be able to give a show and tell presentation about your travel experiences or about what life is like in your neck of the woods. Furthermore, these kids most likely will have interesting parents with lots of connections who might also have some good advice for you on getting from point A to B.

Cheers!

Mmm, yeah, and we all know of those hick parts in the great USA (West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, et al) where a black person “might” end up in the wrong backwards town and get tied to the back of a pick up truck like James Byrd and dragged until his limbs are torn apart.
This issue in Zimbabwe is that white minorities instituted apartheid back in the 60s/70s and they took/controlled the majority of the best land. So, what do you expect them to do if the system didn’t distribute the wealth fairly????
OTOH, Byrd’s case is pure racism! Please compare apples to apples.
This does not mean I support Mugabe. He’s gone overboard.