Namibia’s Wildlife Economy: A Global Conservation Success Story

Produced for the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE)

Namibia stands as a beacon of hope and success in a world facing a biodiversity crisis. Namibia’s Wildlife Economy, a powerful new documentary series directed by Andy Botelle of MaMoKoBo Video & Research, offers an in-depth look at how this southern African nation has achieved one of the world’s most compelling conservation success stories.

In 1990, upon gaining independence, Namibians made a pivotal decision: to reclaim the right to manage and benefit from their natural resources. As Chief Joseph Mayuni of the Mafwe of Mashi Traditional Authority recalls, “Our own government wanted to follow the laws of the former government, South Africa… But since we complained… they listened to us and gave us back the power to decide how we manage our own wildlife.”

This bold move laid the foundation for a rights-based conservation approach that has enabled wildlife to thrive both inside and outside of protected areas. Namibia now boasts the world’s largest free-roaming populations of black rhino and cohosts the largest population of savannah elephants.

Through engaging interviews with conservation scientists, policymakers, traditional leaders, and landowners, the documentary explores how Namibia’s philosophy of sustainable use has enabled both wildlife and people to flourish. As Dr Chris Brown, CEO of the Namibian Chamber of Environment, puts it, “It’s very clear that what comes first is devolving rights over wildlife to communities and farmers, and developing a vibrant wildlife economy for the benefit of the people.”

Bennett Kahuure, Director of Parks and Wildlife at the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, echoes this success: “We are talking about the largest free-roaming population of rhinos... as a country, we really have done tremendously well with our conservation policies.”

The production, which includes a 36-minute full-length documentary, a 7-minute mini-documentary, and eleven indepth interviews (ranging from 15 to 63 minutes), provides a holistic view of Namibia’s wildlife economy. The series tackles head-on the controversial topic of trophy hunting, explaining how it fits into Namibia’s conservation model and provides critical funding for both community development and species protection.

While Namibia’s wildlife economy is widely applauded, it remains misunderstood in many parts of the world. International policies — especially those targeting trophy hunting in countries like the UK — risk undermining the very conservation efforts they seek to support.

“Our wish,” says Dr Brown, “is that this film series reaches a diverse audience on all continents and gets people thinking about the real conservation and socioeconomic outcomes that we all want — healthy, expanding and connected wildlife populations and indigenous biodiversity, sustainably managed across large open landscapes.”

Namibia’s Wildlife Economy is more than just a documentary — it’s an urgent appeal for international understanding and cooperation. The story it tells is one of empowerment, vision, and the extraordinary results that arise when people are given the rights and incentives to protect their natural heritage.

Let’s help Namibia’s conservation model inspire action around the world.

INTERESTING FACTS

• 45% of communal conservancy revenue comes from hunting.

• 1995 - 7,000 elephants, today more than 24,000 elephants.

• Trophy hunting accounts for 3% of tourists but 20% of tourism revenue.

Follow this link to stream or download documentaries.