Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has officially handed over N$166mn ($9mn) worth of new and upgraded infrastructure across three of the country’s most visited national parks, in a joint investment with Germany aimed at boosting conservation and improving the visitor experience.
The inauguration ceremony took place on March 28 at Ombika in Etosha National Park, where officials unveiled upgraded entrance gates, new comfort stops and improved duty stations for the Wildlife Protection Services (WPS). The upgrades were carried out in Etosha, Hardap and Bwabwata national parks, and were co-funded by the Namibian and German governments through KfW Development Bank.
Under the Namibia National Parks Programme, approximately NAD48mn ($2.9mn) was invested in visitor-facing infrastructure. In Etosha, this covered renovations to the Ombika, Namutoni and King Nehale entrance gates, upgrades to ablution facilities with picnic areas, information displays, viewing platforms and parking, and new signage installations. In Hardap National Park, the main gate and smaller entrance gates, including Fish Route Gate and Game Park Gate, were renovated alongside new ablution facilities. A further NAD118mn ($7.1mn) was invested in WPS infrastructure through the Integrated Wildlife Protection Management Project.
German Ambassador to Namibia Thorsten Hutter said the investment included building and upgrading WPS infrastructure at stations in Bwabwata, Etosha and the Kunene region, covering staff housing, offices, operations rooms, water and power systems, fencing, sewage systems and kennels for K9 anti-poaching units.
Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Indileni Daniel said national parks are central to the country’s economy. “These places are the backbone of the country, as they attract tourists who contribute significantly to our economy. Therefore, the country needs to be clean and beautified to attract more visitors,” Daniel said.
Tourism contributed around 6.9% to Namibia’s GDP between 2022 and 2023, amounting to approximately N$14.3bn, and the sector supports over 57,000 direct jobs. In 2023, Namibia welcomed 863,872 international visitors, an 87.4% increase from 2022