Namibia is on the south-west coast of Africa, bordering Angola, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. It gets a huge 300 days on sunshine per day and boasts over 20 national parks which make up around 14% of the land.
This dream-like destination is almost otherworldly in its unique beauty. Wild landscapes with giant red dunes, vast canyons, grasslands, mountains, rugged coasts and arid deserts characterise Namibia.
However there is plenty to see and do amongst this awe inspiring scenery including spying on lions in the national parks, sand-boarding, hiking, surfing, star gazing at the clearest skies you will ever see or learning about Namibia’s rich traditions and cultures.
A fascinating and unusual destination, Namibia presents the opportunity to discover genuine eco-tourism.
Best Volunteer Programs in Namibia
Elephant Conservation in Namibia
• 2-12 weeks
• £1,245
How You Can Help
These are some of the most popular projects:
• Wildlife Conservation
• Medical Missions
• Teaching and Sports Coaching
• Environmental Conservation
Location of Projects
• Swakopmund
• Fish River Canyon
• Etosha National Park
• Asossusvlei
Wildlife Conservation in Namibia
So what’s involved in a wildlife conservation project in Namibia? In some locations in Namibia, game ranchers are having difficulty protecting their ranches from predatory species such as the leopard, but also cheetahs and caracals.
They are under-educated about the rarity of some of these predatory species and often in order to not lose profits from their stock and game ranch, they act without thinking. Some conservation projects in Namibia works with the ranchers and provides them with valuable information about the leopards’ habits so that they can better manage their ranches without impacting the leopards.
You might be helping to catch and collar leopards, caracals and cheetahs or tracking their movements.
The Practical Stuff
Eligibility: Anyone can get involved, you need not have any relevant previous experience, just a desire to get involved and muck-in where necessary. Be aware though, most projects are not relaxing holidays. While there will be some leisure time and time to explore, the work that the project is undertaking is important and should be taken seriously.
Climate: Despite enjoying 300 days of sunshine a year Namibia’s temperatures and precipitation are considerably varied. Central regions see the most arid conditions with sweltering temperatures in the day (40°C) and freezing conditions at night. It is best to fit visits around the rainy seasons which are October to December and January to April.
Currency: Namibia Dollar (N$)
Religion: Christian, Lutheran, native religions
Language: English and Afrikaans (official)
Health Conditions: Malaria (in the north-east) schistosomiasis (bilharzias) (in the east), HIV/AIDS HIV (21% of Namibia’s population is HIV positive), typhoid fever.