Namibia Film Commission

Namibia’s spectacular landscapes continue to feature as a backdrop to many a blockbuster film, and each time, we ensure your production run smoothly.

Namibia has four main geographical regions (from West to East): Coastal plain / Namib Desert, Namib Escarpment, the rocky Central Plateau with its high mountains and the Kalahari Sandveld that is characterised by its flat layers of sand. The most spectacular landscapes for filmmakers can be found in the Namib Desert and the surrounding area. Films such as “Flight of the Phoenix” and “10.000 BC”, “Mad Max Fury Road” and recently “Transformer – the Dark Knight” and “The Mummy” were partly filmed there.

The Namib Desert stretches along the Atlantic Ocean from Angola well into South Africa and forms a belt of spectacular dunes and rock formations that reaches up to 200 kilometers inland. Swakopmund is a modern coastal town, nestled between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean and - the center of the local film industry and in proximity to the “Dune Sea” and other spectacular locations, like Spitzkoppe and the Rossing Mountains. This makes it a perfect base for any film production. The deep-water harbour at Walvis Bay with its industrial berth and big ships is an excellent location for action shots. Enormous oil rigs from along the shores of Western Africa frequently dock for repairs and add to the scenery.

The Moon Landscape is nestled between the Namib Desert and the Central Plateau - a plain rugged landscape with strange rock formations and dry riverbeds, burnt by the glaring sun and deeply dissected. Although relatively easily accessible, the environment is so hostile that no trees or human settlements can be found, which gives this region a doomsday atmosphere.

Southern Namibia prides itself with locations like Sossusvlei dunes, offering spectacular colours, at sunrise and sunset when the dunes display a forever-changing kaleidoscope of colour, from light yellow to dark red. Another perfect location, especially for photography is Kolmanskop, a deserted ghost town in the desert close to Lüderitz, and so is the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world.

Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, situated in the mountains at 1654 m (5426 ft.) above sea level - a thriving modern city with excellent infrastructure. Almost everything you need is available or can be sourced internationally and delivered via overnight freight. Namibia is a true “rainbow nation” with a diverse population of more than ten ethnic groups with different lifestyles, traditions, and cultures.

With majestic landscapes as laid out above, the NFC works to ensure a conducive environment for filmmakers choosing our landscapes for their films. This we do through issuing filming and or photography permits; coordinating other related permits, such as for locations, temporary work visas and the environment and drone application; where needed and where no local facilitation service provider is utilised.

We welcome you to our stunning motherland and trust that you have a smooth production. This publication detailing what you would need to film in Namibia is comprehensive enough to get you started, and we wait to hear from you soon. Should you need any further assistance whilst in Namibia, we are available on the details contained in this document.

“Foreword by: Florence Haifene - Executive Secretary”