Hunting in Namibia

A country shaped by sustainable use

Sustainable hunting

Through the basic principle of selective hunting, many endangered species have been re-established in various areas of the country. Hunting guests from all around the world experience unforgettable impressions and contribute, with their reports back home, to the fact that hunting in Namibia remains attractive for many friends of hunting.

In Namibia, the government has embodied the sustainable use of all its wealth in its Constitution, which enabled trophy hunting to be placed under lawful protection. Since 1994 this has led to a steady increase in trophy hunting.

The professional hunters and hunting guides in Namibia always act according to the principle of sustainable utilization.

Huntable game in Namibia

Namibia is home to a large amount of free-roaming huntable game. Some species occur only in certain areas, and not all game is huntable.

Strictly protected

Excluded from hunting — for example black rhinos and wild dogs.

CITES — permit required

Hunted only after issue of a special permit: elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, mountain zebra, baboon and crocodile.

Freely huntable

Kudu, steenbok, duiker, warthog, jackal, caracal and many more.

Explore all game species

General information about Namibia

Namibia offers a range of remarkable experiences in astonishing environments — exciting hunts, big trophies, challenging stalks, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, fierce thunderstorms, boiling-hot days and freezing-cold nights, flat savannahs, rocky mountains, gigantic dunes and majestic rivers.

The country gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990. A multiparty parliament governs under a democratic constitution. The main economic sectors are mining, fishing, tourism (including hunting) and agriculture.

With a surface area of about 825,000 km² — much of it desert — and around 2.1 million people, Namibia is one of the least populated countries in the world. This translates into some of the most magnificent wildlife habitats on Earth, from the world's largest shifting sand dunes in the southern Namib to riverine forest and swampland in the Caprivi.

Namibia has 14 vegetation zones supporting some of the richest wildlife in the world. Big game includes elephant — including, in the Kaokoveld, the world's last surviving population of desert elephants — lion, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, leopard and giraffe. There are 20 antelope species, 240 mammal species (14 endemic), 250 reptile species, 50 frog species and 676 bird species.

Namibia fast facts

Good to know

Namibia's official language is English.

Two international airports — Hosea Kutako and Eros, both in Windhoek.

46 additional airports and airstrips are scattered throughout the country.

Two privately run hospitals in Windhoek with intensive care units; practitioners are available in outlying towns.

All goods and services include 15% VAT, which may be reclaimed by visitors.

Over 45,000 km of good-quality roads, though many aren't tarred due to low traffic.

For the interested hunting guest

Seasons & permits

The trophy hunting season is restricted from 1 February to 30 November each year. Hunting is allowed from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.

The hunting guest must be in possession of a valid hunting permit, which is applied for by the hunting guide or professional hunter at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and which must be issued before the commencement of the hunt.

We will gladly send you further information regarding permits, importing of firearms, ammunition, bow hunting and more, on request.

Request information