▁area ▁around ▁Lü der itz ▁and ▁abandoned ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁when ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁the ▁British . ▁ ▁The ▁postal ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁started ▁on ▁ 7 ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁at ▁Ot j im bing we , ▁when ▁the ▁regular ▁postal ▁service ▁began ▁using ▁German ▁post age ▁st amps ▁and ▁post marks ▁reading ▁O TY IM B ING UE . ▁ ▁The ▁service ▁continued ▁in ▁this ▁fashion ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years , ▁eventually ▁expand ing ▁to ▁additional ▁post ▁offices ▁in ▁Wind ho ek ▁( 1 8 9 1 ) ▁and ▁Sw ak op mund ▁( 1 8 9 5 ). ▁ ▁First ▁st amps ▁The ▁first ▁stamp ▁issue ▁for ▁the ▁col ony ▁consisted ▁of ▁over print s ▁applied ▁to ▁German ▁st amps ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁reading ▁" De utsch - ▁/ ▁Süd west - A frika " ▁at ▁an ▁angle . ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁November ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁the ▁over print ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁" De utsch - ▁/ ▁Süd west af ri ka " ▁dro pping ▁the ▁hy phen . ▁ ▁Y acht ▁issue ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁the ▁om n ibus ▁Y acht ▁issue ▁included ▁st amps ▁for ▁South ▁West ▁Africa , ▁printed ▁on ▁wat erm ark ed ▁paper ▁after ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁The ▁last ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁a ▁ 3 ▁Mark ▁value , ▁printed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁but ▁never ▁put