Thailand Overseas Investment Center

Namibia: Private Investments Boost Conservancies

By Fifi Rhodes

Nestled between palm trees on the Uniab River in the Kunene Region, is a 582 000-hectare home to desert elephants, the rare black rhino, giraffe, zebra and gemsbok.

Palmwag Lodge is one of the 29 formal lodges and camps established in joint ventures between private investors and local communities as part of the country's communal conservancy tourism initiative.

These lodges rake in millions of dollars that are shared with communal communities who are the owners of the conservancies.

Besides financial rewards the lodges also provide jobs for the communities, isolated from commercial town hubs. Palmwag Lodge, for instance, is in southern Kunene Region and employs 61 people. It is run by Fritz and Birgit Schenk who two years ago took charge of the concession's affairs on behalf of the conservancy.

Recently Schenk upgraded the lodge and rebuilt the kitchen and another block on the campsite's tented chalets. He also added another five ablutions.

The latest addition to the lodge is the introduction of a single engine helicopter to be used to protect wildlife against poachers.

"We have (launched) through social media and locally, an anti poaching campaign. With their contribution of thousands of dollars we can keep the chopper in the air and track possible poachers," the couple said.

A Solar power project also assures continued power supply. "We have a good relationship with conservancies bordering our land and we continue to do good to the environment and its people," he said.

Palmwag Lodge is one of the oldest and most popular tourist stopovers in the region. For adventure seekers, the well-defined hiking trails let you enjoy and discover nature that includes the breath-taking landscapes of the area.

The Lodge is accessible via a gravel road D2620, over Kamanjab and Khorixas; or from Swakopmund by gravel road C35, D2301 and D3254 via Uis. Palmwag Lodge is an ideal place to travel on to the Kaokofeld, Etosha and Epupa Falls.

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