Trophy Hunting – a shot in the arm for Namibia`s tourism and economy

Peter Mietzner

Gert Koekemoer, a fourth-generation Namibian, is a farmer. He, however, does not farm with cattle, raise sheep or, indeed, plant acres and acres of maize or wheat.  His 7 500 hectare farm, Finalé, near Gobabis, is a trophy hunting farm!

Here every year, some dozens of avid hunters from countries all over the world come to do what they enjoy best:  track and shoot Namibian game – a sport that is becoming increasingly impossible in their own countries.

 Trophy hunting in Namibia is a significant contributor to the country`s economy, with about eight per cent of the annual gross domestic product (GDP)

Hunting contributes around N$500 million per year from primary and secondary sectors to the Namibian economy. It employs 12000 people in both sectors.

The hunting of about 25,000 wild animals organised by hunting professionals surpasses income from the entire small livestock sector. Trophy hunting constitutes at least 14% of the total tourism sector and is a significant component of the Namibian economy. Some 24% of the income earned in the trophy hunting industry accrues to poor segments of society in the form of wages and rentals / royalties . About 21% of income generated is captured by the government, through fees and taxes. Trophy hunting is an important contributor to development.

Mr Koekemoer told Exposé Newspaper he plays host to some 14 hunting groups per year and the hunters – many from Poland, the USA, Germany and Norway – usually have to book many months if not a whole year in advance to find a place on the busy calendar during the hunting season.  Favourite game comprises elands, hartebeest, kudu and oryx.

According to the Namibia Professional Hunting Association, NAPHA, founded in 1974 to promote Namibia as an international hunting destination, trophy hunting is an important section of the tourism industry which has grown by an average of 12.5 per cent annually since 1996.  It is estimated that for each trophy hunter visiting Namibia, five to six jobs were created since it a labour-intensive part of the tourism industry, requiring camp attendants, service staff, game trackers, hunting assistants and professional hunters.

Gert Koekemoer and the hunters on his farm are all registered with NAPHA as professional hunters and part of the regular programme on the farm is to teach members of the local population the skills needed to become first assistants and then, if they pass the necessary tests, full hunters in their own right. Since game has to be replenished regularly, the Koekemoers are also actively engaged in conservation education for their workers and members of the local population.  This entails basically telling their neighbours, mostly resettlement farmers, that game is money on the hoof. The first successes are coming in and  the professional and personal relationship between the commercial hunting farmers and his communal and resettlement neighbours is improving day by day.

Through the impetus that trophy hunting has given the industry, depleted game species, which formerly populated areas of Namibia, have been re-introduced through effective game management based on the principle of conservation through selective hunting. The oldest cultural heritage of men, namely hunting, is thus carried out through sustainable game utilization and serves as an effective tool to ensure the survival of wildlife and the well-being of local communities. The farm is also actively involved a school established for the local San community.

Once clients have seen the school, Mr. Koekemoer says, they often sent donations from their countries of origin to further assists the children. Adding that prospective hunters, trackers and guides needed a good education in order to perform to the best of their abilities, the investment in the school was an investment in Namibia and its people.

About 7000+ international and local hunters are expected during the hunting season (February to November) and over the last 10 years, Namibia has seen an increased number of international hunters coming in, most of them from Germany and the US.

Once the animal has been hunted, the hunter lays claim to the head, the skin, the feet and the horns, while the meat of the kill is usually distributed to the farm workers or, in some cases, to the kitchen of the farm where choice game dishes are then prepared for the hunters and other guests.

Recent statistics from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism indicate that German hunters visiting Namibia over a 10-year period have increased from 1490 to 1905, whereas hunters from the United States have increased from 155 to 1516.

During the same period, Spanish hunters increased from 20 to 265. Other international markets that have become significant in the last decade include Austria, Hungary, Russia and France.

The most popular species in order of preference include oryx, kudu, springbok, hartebeest and warthog.

Namibia is a desired and successful hunting destination and hunters who have come to know the country well and who can appreciate something special, like to call Namibia "Africa`s best kept secret". Why the country is still relatively unknown, remains somewhat of a mystery, but this aspect is often smiled upon by international trophy hunters, because in its unique way, Namibia is second to none.

Namibia is home to a great variety of huntable game species, but the great attraction is the abundance of thirst-land animals such as the greater kudu, gemsbuck and springbuck. The majestic greater kudu, found in Namibia in an unparalleled density, has an average trophy quality, while gemsbuck and springbuck have an exceptional trophy quality, and more important, can be hunted surrounded by impressive scenery.

Mr Koekemoer was quite amused at the question whether the game would not be hunted out completely and explained that he and other hunting farms regularly replenished their stock by purchasing excellent stock from reputable breeders in South Africa and elsewhere.  He added that he regularly attended game auctions held, for instance, by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The purchase of new stock was also good to expand the gene pool on the farm and ensured that game of excellent bloodlines were available to the clients.

One of the recent hunters at Omarumba Hunting, Will Barks (USA), wife Tania, his 13 years old son Jonathan and his 10 year old daughter Victoria , had the following to say about his experience:

“This hunt turned out to be the perfect venue for what I had hoped to achieve. First it was a trip to celebrate my 40th birthday with my family. I wanted to be able to collect some good representative species of African Plains game. But also to have a hunt that my wife and two children could experience and be involved in. Gert and Anthea Koekemoer exceeded all of my expectations of including and caring for my family and getting me out to see plenty of game.

His daughter Anthea was very enjoyable to hunt with and she fell in love with my kids before the end of our stay.

This was very much a ranch hunt. We did see game fences. But the areas of land where so large and the thorns so thick that the animals had no problem evading us. The only easy clear shots were in a couple of large grassy plains/pasture areas.

We had eight checked bags. One rifle case (SKB hard side golf case), one luggage bag with our clothes and one small carry-on sized hard side bag with ammo and other items. The remaining five bags had donation items for the Goania Bushman School and the families of the ranch hands. “

Picture captions:

For a hunter it is important to shoot the buck with the biggest horns possible.  Namibia has already quite a few records in this regards.

As with all things, professional hunting is a team effort.  Here the whole crew responsible for operation pose with the downed giraffe.