Ultimate Safaris pumps N$18 million into Kunene communities

Tourism company Ultimate Safaris invested over N$18 million into community upliftment and environmental initiatives in Namibia’s Kunene region last year.

Ultimate Safaris managing director Tristan Cowley said the company remains committed to creating a lasting impact despite 2025's challenges.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to contribute in a way that is intended to deliver a positive, generational legacy in a year that posed extraordinary challenges and placed our business under immense pressure,” he said.

Cowley added that the company aims to continue its efforts well into the future, “in the spirit of doing good while running a sustainable business.”

The 2025 investments included over N$10 million directed towards the Doro !Nawas Conservancy and the Doros Joint Management Area, a collaborative initiative involving the Sorris Sorris, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro !Nawas conservancies.

This included N$3 million distributed as direct cash payments through bed levies, while N$6.7 million was allocated to salaries and employee benefits. A further N$700 000 supported conservation and community-focused programmes.

This latest contribution brings Ultimate Safaris’ total investment in southern Kunene to N$100 million since 2021.

Continued investment

The company anticipates that this figure will grow further once ongoing mining-related challenges in the area are resolved, potentially leading to increased employment opportunities.

Currently, Ultimate Safaris employs 50 people in southern Kunene, forming part of its 140-strong workforce across Namibia.

The company emphasised that investments on communal land ultimately vest with the state and local custodians, making such contributions vital for long-term sustainability, rural development and generational impact.

Through its non-profit arm, the Conservation Travel Foundation, Ultimate Safaris invested an additional N$7.8 million into conservation and community initiatives across Namibia, with a primary focus on Kunene.

An amount of N$3.15 million was channelled into the Lion Ranger Programme, a community-based initiative aimed at mitigating human-lion conflict while protecting Namibia’s desert-adapted lion population.

Broader support

Funding exceeding N$1.7 million supported conservation projects undertaken by organisations such as AfriCat, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Northwest Cheetah Project.

Communities directly benefited from more than N$1 million in development projects.

These included infrastructure upgrades and the establishment of a computer laboratory at Th. F. !Gaeb Primary School in Khorixas, the installation of a solar power system at Mowe Bay, the provision of uniforms and equipment for conservancy rangers and scholarships for conservancy members and learners.

These scholarships enabled participants to attend University of Namibia (Unam) short courses in sustainable tourism management and access private schooling opportunities in Windhoek.

In addition, Ultimate Safaris supported the revitalisation of the Granietkop Campsite, a conservancy-owned business. The campsite generated N$784 000 in 2025 and created four new jobs, with the company providing pro bono management mentoring and training.

Jobs and livelihoods

The construction of three access control gates in the Doros Joint Management Area, at a cost of N$36 000, further contributed to conservation and economic development. The initiative created six new jobs and generated N$160 000 in conservation fees for conservancies between May and December 2025.

Meanwhile, the introduction of a community and conservation levy at Ultimate Safaris’ camps raised an additional N$2 million. These funds are earmarked for economic empowerment projects in Khorixas, centred on developing a circular tourism economy with the community at its core.

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