This blog on Namibia is broken down into two parts, with the first section giving information as an overview of the country, its diverse landscape, hunting areas, popular game hunting species, as well as legalities and hunting licenses that are required for a game hunting safari in Namibia.
Part 2 will cover aspects such as what to pack for a Namibian hunting safari, tourist attractions as an add-on pre- or post-hunt (a must for this beautiful destination!), travel logistics while hunting in Namibia, and cuisine, amongst others.
Big Game Hunting in Namibia
The demand for big game hunting in Namibia is on the increase and it is fast becoming one of Africa’s premium game hunting destinations, for both African plains game as well as dangerous game species.
International hunters are showing a keen interest in the destination due to the quality of the hunting safaris, and trophies, as well as Namibia being exceptionally affordable when compared to destinations such as Zambia and Tanzania.
Hunting cheetah in Namibia is a specialty safari, as Namibia is the only African destination offering this unique predator. Plains game hunting in Namibia also offers endemic species such as the Damara Dik-Dik, Hartmann’s Zebra, and the Black-Faced Impala.
Namibia is an African country that, since gaining independence, is politically stable, which is great news for international hunters. More than 6,000 people, including families and observers, visit this beautiful country every year.
The Namibian Landscape
The below image gives an aerial view of the country, from the wild and remote Skeleton Coast on the west coast to the Caprivi Strip in the northeast corner. Namibia covers more than 3,200 square miles and is more than twice the size of Texas.
So, hunting in Namibia is on the cards. Let’s consider all the practical and relevant information to ensure a dream African hunting safari. As they say, “The devil is in the detail!”
Namibia's Hunting Area
- Safari hunting in Namibia is conducted within privately owned properties or government hunting concessions.
- Private game hunting safaris in Namibia take place on ranches ranging in size from a few thousand acres to millions of acres, offering hunters access to a variety of antelope and big game species.
- These hunting ranches are spread all over Namibia, showcasing the best of what Namibia has to offer.
- Government concessions for safari hunting take place mainly in the North of the country.
- With Namibia having such a unique and diverse landscape, the terrain can exponentially vary from mountainous, thorny savannah to huge semi-desert plains.
Namibia's Game Hunting Variety
Namibia offers a variety of hunting trophies and is the only African country where all members of the Big 5 can be hunted.
Available Species in Namibia:
Specialty Game
- African Wildcat
- Brown and Spotted Hyena
- Aardwolf
- Bat Eared Fox
- Honey Badger
- Genet
- Cheetah
- Serval
Dangerous Seven
- Elephant
- Cape Buffalo
- Rhino
- Crocodile
- Lion
- Leopard
- Hippo
Namibia offers a wide variety of African plains game such as trophy Eland, Kudu, Oryx, Giraffe, Wildebeest (Black and Blue), Hartebeest, Waterbuck plus many more are available for hunting safaris. It is also, in fact, the only country where cheetah can be legally hunted.
Hunting in Namibia and the Principle of “Fair Chase”
Fair chase is what trophy hunting in Namibia is all about. The animal in its natural habitat possesses the opportunity to evade the hunter and basically escape. The hunter needs to outwit the roaming animal.
The game hunting safari may not make use of artificial light and the animal may not be allowed to hunted from a motorized vehicle. Trophy hunting in Namibia must not target female species, especially those who have young dependents. Trophy animals should exist in large areas where animals are free to breed, hunt, or freely forage.
Legalities when Hunting in Namibia
Before the commencement of the African hunting safari, be sure to obtain updates in terms of legal legislation and ensure compliance to prevent potential problems with paperwork, and possible criminal prosecution.
Your hunt broker will be able to answer any questions in this regard, but the items below are a guideline:
- When booking the hunting safari, check and confirm with the airline that the carrier is rating as “firearm friendly”. Check in if any special permissions are required.
- When transporting the firearms, the weapons of choice need to be separately packed in lockable hard cases. Ammunition must be in original packaging.
- Each rifle will require a separate application form to legally enter Namibia.
- Black powder rifles may be brought into Namibia for hunting purposes, however, the consumables, namely the actual powder and percussion caps are not allowed. The hunting consumables may be acquired in Namibia. Your African outfitter will be able to advise as to where to source these materials.
- When hunting in Namibia, note that the practice of hunting with hounds is illegal.
- Hunting is not allowed during the hot months of December and January. Trophy hunting in Namibia will thus commence annually on the 1st of February and end on the 30th of November.
- Legally, hunting in Namibia may not take place after half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise.
- Unlike other African countries such as Tanzania, when hunting in Namibia there are not any regulations governing the length of the hunting safari.
Equipment Considerations when Trophy Hunting in Namibia
Only two firearms per client on the hunting safari may be allowed to be temporarily transported into Namibia, with a limit of 60 rounds per rifle.
The below hunting equipment will not be allowed into Namibia
- Crossbows
- Handguns
- Semin-Automatic and fully automatic rifles
By Namibian Nature Conservation, Ordinance number 4, minimum calibers are specified. When African plains game hunting in Namibia, the smallest caliber allowed is a .243 for species such as Duiker, Steenbuck, Damara Dik-Dik, and Springbok. This caliber will also apply to other certain nocturnal critters such as Honeybadgers, Civets, Caracal, etc.
Antelope such as Gemsbuck, Wildebeest, Kudu, Hartebeest, and Eland may be hunted in Namibia using a minimum caliber of .270.
Big game hunting in Namibia would require a minimum legal caliber of a .375. When considering elephant or hippo hunting in Namibia, a double rifle would be strongly advised for the larger members of the big 5, anything from a 470 loaded with quality ammunition will get the job done.
Restrictions are also placed on ammunition. No solid points are allowed unless big games such as rhinos, elephants, and hippos are being hunted.
When hippo hunting in Namibia, consider whether the hunting safari will take place during the wet or dry months. The choice of rifle may vary depending on whether the hunter expects to find the hippo in or out of the water. Shot placement on the hippo may present a few different options.
Leopards and lions can be hunted in Namibia using a .375.
If a bow is the weapon of choice, know that bow hunting in Namibia is allowed, but there are restrictions depending on what animals can be hunted. For larger game, the minimum requirement is 65 ft/lb., medium game lower at 40ft/lb., and smaller game may be hunted in Namibia with a bow with a minimum energy rating of 25ft/lb.
The Kalahari Bushman are famous for their bow-hunting skills and modern-day bow hunting in Namibia was legalized in 1997. Longbows, compound bows, and recurved bows may be used during a hunting safari in the country. The hunter needs to check that the African outfitter is registered for bowhunting, as only registered outfitters may conduct bow-hunting safaris in Namibia.
Outfitters in Namibia will construct temporary or permanent bow hunting blinds. Bow hunting from a blind is better during the dry season. Bowhunting, using the walk and stalk method, would be better during the wetter months as cover will be more abundant, allowing better camouflage for the hunter.
It would be strongly advisable to ensure that all game hunting equipment is insured and specified with your insurance broker before the hunting safari. Make sure to send pictures, serial numbers, valuations, and copies of the permits to the insurance company. It would be recommended also to insure items such as range finders, optics, and binoculars.
Hunting Licenses and Permits
In Namibia, hunting licenses are referred to as hunting permits and like all permits, are only issued under certain conditions.
- Permits must be issued before the commencement of the hunting safari.
- Each member of the hunting safari will require a separate and personalized permit.
- When hunting Leopards, Lion and Cheetah in Namibia, a special permit is required.
- Permits are only issued by the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, known as MET.
- Trophy Hunting in Namibia comes with strict limitations. Only two trophies per species may be harvested, per individual hunter.
- The hunting clients, along with the hunting professional, also known as African outfitters must complete the permit.
- Namibian outfitters must be registered with the Namibia Tourism Board to legally be able to operate.
Namibian Big Game Hunting Trophies
Namibia, being a five-star destination for hunting safaris, has world-class taxidermists. Your game hunting trophy can either be dipped and packed ready for export, or the taxidermy work can be completed in Namibia. Hunting trophies may only be exported at the end of the hunting safari, once a certificate has been issued by the government vet. The trophies will also go through a quarantine period of three months.
My personal recommendation would be to have the trophies and mounts completed by Namibian taxidermists who understand the “look and feel” of the African antelope and big game species.
Hunting Trophy Export and Import Restrictions
- Your booking agent and/or African outfitter will provide all the updates for export and export regulations regarding specific species that will be hunted. Certain species will require specific CITES permits including animals such as elephants, leopards, cheetahs, and lions. These restrictions do change from time to time.
- It is also imperative that the hunter checks that the export destination country does not have further restrictions in place. Animals, such as the Black-faced Impala, may be exported to European countries, but some countries such as the USA do not allow the import of antelopes.
If you are interested in big game hunting, read one of our latest blogs and discover why hippo hunting in the Zambezi region of Namibia is so highly rated.
Alternatively, see An Information Guide to Hunting in Namibia – Part 2.
Author: P.C. van Wyk