The past few weeks have been steeped in extremely cold weather and strong winds. So much so that residents in the informal settlements feared for their lives and businesses.

40-year-old Jacobine Handjamba from Havana Settlement in Windhoek was among those fearing for her livelihood.

She managed to navigate the cold and windy weather to ensure that her business carried on.

The mother of five, who sells kapana for a living, narrates how the cold and windy weather affected her and her children, especially during the nights.

Damaging winds at one point almost blew her shack away, she says, describing the experience as terrifying.

"Last week's wind was very scary; as we lay asleep, one would think thieves were trying to break in and rob you. Even that missing iron sheet on the shack was blown away by the wind. All my belongings that I store there are covered in sand."

She had to seriously consider whether or not to carry on with her kapana business, finally settling on waking up as early as 4 a.m. to stay ahead.

"This cold is too extreme, but what choice do I have? I have to wake up very early because if I wait until seven, then the wind becomes too much. When you wake up, you can even see ice on the iron sheets. I just need to do it to feed my children."

For some, though, it was business as usual.

On the side of the road in Greenwell, 39-year-old Aina Iipinge sat around the fire with her children to keep warm while they waited for the food to cook.

She sells fat cakes, porridge, and meat.

She was forced to take four days off from her business, citing strong winds as a hindrance.

"Selling in the morning is better because it's the time I get most of my customers, and if I don't come, I'll lose out on business, so I don't really have a choice. The weather is very unexpected, especially with the very cold and windy conditions. But today it's actually better because it's not that windy because the wind is what affects our business."

In Otjomuise's 8ste laan, we found young residents warming themselves around a fire as their guardian was getting ready for business.