Ultimate Safaris pumps N$18 million into Kunene communities
Ultimate Safaris has once again demonstrated its commitment to sustainable development and conservation, investing more than N$18 million in community upliftment and environmental initiatives in Namibia’s Kunene Region in 2025.
The investment includes over N$10 million directed to the Doro !Nawas Conservancy and the Doros Joint Management Area, a collaborative initiative involving the Sorris Sorris, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro !Nawas conservancies. This amount includes 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. The company expects this figure to increase once ongoing mining-related challenges in the area are resolved, potentially creating additional employment opportunities. Currently, Ultimate Safaris employs 50 people in southern Kunene as part of its 140-strong workforce across Namibia.
The company emphasised that investments in communal land ultimately vest in the State and local custodians, making such contributions essential for long-term sustainability, rural development and intergenerational impact.
Through its non-profit arm, the Conservation Travel Foundation, Ultimate Safaris invested an additional N$7.8 million in conservation and community initiatives across Namibia, primarily in the Kunene region. 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.
More than N$1.7 million has been supported for conservation projects undertaken by organisations such as AfriCat, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, and the Northwest Cheetah Project.
Communities also benefited directly from over 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. The scholarships enabled participants to attend University of Namibia 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 revenue in 2025 and created four new jobs, with the company providing pro bono management mentoring and training.
The construction of three access control gates in the Doros Joint Management Area, at a cost of N$36,000, further supported 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 a planned economic empowerment project in Khorixas, focused on developing a circular tourism economy with the community at its centre. The company indicated that partnerships with non-governmental organisations and other operators are already underway.
Ultimate Safaris Managing Director Tristan Cowley said the company remains committed to creating meaningful and lasting impact despite the year’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 intends to continue its efforts well into the future, “in the spirit of doing good while running a sustainable business.”
