Two Namibian communities that suffered genocide at the hands of colonial-era Germany say they were excluded from a landmark $1 billion reparations deal with Berlin .

Leaders of the Nama and Ovaherero people want the two nations to revisit the agreement, which will channel additional development aid to Namibia.

Germany's very public apology comes as the country is facing increasing pressure at home to confront its colonial past, with some activists saying more needs to be done to shine a light on the country's chapter of African rule.

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Foreign Minister Heiko Maas recently apologized on behalf of Germany for the crimes carried out by its troops and administration.

"We officially refer to these events in Namibia as what they were: a genocide. We are therefore acknowledging our historical responsibility. And in the light of Germany's historical and moral responsibility, we will ask Namibia and the descendants of the victims for forgiveness," he said.

The very public apology follows similar moves in recent years by European powers to confront crimes committed in the past.

While Germany's apology has been welcomed, some rights groups say more should be done to engage with the descendants of those killed.

"You cannot leave out the descendants of the victims of the genocide. We are not surprised by the results now, or by the atmosphere in Namibia, which is heated I would say," said Christian Kopp, a representative of the Berlin Postkolonial advocacy group.

"People are protesting against what the government has negotiated with Germany. Not only the results, but also about the fact that they did so without the representatives of the majority of the Nama and Ovaherero people," he added.

The apology is seen as a landmark moment for Germany as it tries to grapple with its colonial past. Germany ruled large swathes of southwest Africa from 1884 to 1915.

Juergen Zimmerer, a historian at the University of Hamburg, said this period is not widely taught in the curriculum of most German schools but recent events have led to an uptick in people learning about colonial history.

"It suddenly became a media issue. An issue of public interest. Tremendous pressure was put on politicians. I think most Germans just assumed that Germany would not keep stolen artifacts, that Germany was good at recognizing past sins and would not deny the genocide," he said.

"But they learned suddenly that there's a huge gap in political rhetoric and the political practice."