Conservancy Safaris Namibia

04/08/2022

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11/03/2018

Listen to a recent Radio99 interview with Dr Maggie Jacobsohn on community conservation, Conservancy Safaris Namibia and Himba culture

Dr Margaret Jacobsohn is a Namibian writer, anthropologist and community-based conservation specialist. The co-founder of Integrated Rural Development and Nature…

08/05/2016

Visit Conservancy Safaris Namibia's new, updated website!

08/05/2016

Truly making your footprint count!
Three hundred and one Himba households – more than 3000 people – received a cash dividend from Conservancy Safaris Namibia in the last 3 months. Most families used this money to buy food because cattle losses in the drought of the past three years mean that the Himba staple food – milk – is in short supply.
CSN would like to thank all of its 2015 guests for making this distribution of N$150 000 possible. Special mention must be made to the generous Bassett family and the Sandy’s, as well as TUSK. This cash was in addition to more than N$400 000 in salaries, fees, campsite and bed night fees and other direct payments from CSN to our five owner conservancies and their members. These benefits are directly linked to wildlife conservation.
We started with a survey last year, holding 10 community meetings in each conservancy – with the help of Lina Kaisuma, senior IRDNC facilitator. The results told us how the drought stricken Himba shareholders wanted this cash to be used. As every family’s cattle herd has been severely reduced, more than 80% proposed that CSN’s dividend be given to household heads. This, they said, would ensure the cash would be responsibly used for family needs.
Staff of the conservancies worked hard to draw up a list of households (defined as those people sharing the same cooking hearth). We were pleased that a majority of people agreed with our suggestion that those conservancies who earn the least – Sanitatus and Okondjombo, followed by Orupembe - receive the largest share of the payout. Marienfluss Conservancy who earn well from their private sector partners were able to use their own income for a cash payout to their members and agreed not to take a share of CSN’s money this year. Puros, also a good earner, received the smallest share of the N$150 000. The money was also divided according to household sizes which varied from one or two people up to the largest household of 31. Most households were between 7 and 12 people.
Cash is particularly welcome at this time because cattle losses due to starvation in the drought means that there is inadequate milk for households. It is worth stressing that it is not lack of water that kills both domestic stock and wild life in drought, but lack of grass.
In some areas of the north-west – but not all - the drought has broken and good to fairly good rains have fallen. But as an elder at Sanitatus said: Yes, we have some rain and now there is some grass. But where are the cattle? It will take a decade for the Himba herds to recover, if they ever do, and the diversity of income that community conservation and tourism provides has never been more important.
Please consider doing a CSN expedition soon. You will be making a difference at a critical time to both wildlife and the lives of the Himba people who conserve it.

12/01/2016

CSN PAYS CASH DIVIDEND to DROUGHT-STRICKEN HIMBA HOUSEHOLDS – linked to wildlife conservation
An elder, one of about 2 000 Himba shareholders of Conservancy Safaris, with his family's cash dividend in early January. Conservancy Safaris Namibia paid N$35 000 in cash dividends to 41 households in Sanitatas Conservancy; 10 more households in that conservancy stand to benefit. A cash payment to members of the other four CSN owner conservancies will also done in the next month or two.
Although some early rains have fallen, Himba families have lost all or most of their cattle to starvation as a result of the past three years of extreme drought – the worst since the early 1980s -and people face real hunger. More than 100 000 head of cattle have died.
The small amount of help coming from Conservancy Safaris and its clients at this critical juncture makes a strong link between benefits and community-based wildlife conservation. Picture by Don Koblitz.

12/01/2016

The famous FIVE MUSKETEERS – stars of the documentary Vanishing Kings - were relaxed and in good health when photographed by Conservancy Safaris guest Becky Koblitz at the end of December – here four lions lounge in the shade of a tree in the Hoanib; the fifth Musketeer is just out of sight behind the tree. CSN tracked and found the five lions the next day as well. They paid little attention to our vehicles.

26/11/2015

It is very serious at the moment, and there is no doubt that we are losing too many animals to poachers - Garth Owen-Smith

26/11/2015

Our Specialist Guide Garth Owen Smith receives the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa at Tusk Conservation Awards 2015

23/06/2015

Two friends - an image captured by a Conservancy Safaris guest at a Himba watering hole near Etaambura Lodge. The goat is part of a Himba herd; Katira, the Jack Russell, belongs to CSN guide.

23/06/2015

Seen not far from a Conservancy Safaris camp site . . . the giraffe provided meat for a Kaoko pride for days. Three very small cubs were glimpsed the day after this picture was taken but because the mother was agressive towards our vehicle, we backed off and left them in peace.

23/06/2015

Our Specialist Guide Garth Owen-Smith

28/04/2015

Our guide Boas Hambo with our clients on a recent safari!

22/04/2015

What does it take to ensure the survival of the last free-roaming lions in the world - Namibia's desert lions? Dr. Phillip (Flip) Stander talks with TOSCO about…

25/03/2015

This was on one of our safaris - clients with our specialist guides Garth and Margie.