In 1936 it became seat of the local governor and replaced Nkurenkuru as capital of the Kavango district. The town has since grown into a multilingual city of the Kavango region, but its official status is still that of a village.The oldest houses in Rundu are those in the Katutura area. These houses are mainly 2 bedroom homes with large backyards even though they are situated next to the CBD. On the west is Tutungeni, which means "let's build". This area was previously occupied by executives of the white-dominated businessplace, but now it is open for any willing buyer in need of a quiet neighbourhood. On the East is Safari. This are the middle-priced houses and were built in the 1970s.
River Okavango near Rundu
These three main localities dominated Rundu residential life until the turn of the millennium in 2000, when new housing projects by O'B Davids Properties built a new residential area named Millennium Park. After which two others have been built by the NHE, Queens and Kings Parks respectively
