Namibia’s first community-owned lodge, called Grootberg Lodge, was inaugurated on 24 July 2005, by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Hon. Mr. Willem Konjore.

This 12-room luxurious accommodation establishment is situated in the #Khoadi //Hoas Conservancy in the Kunene region and cost N4,5 million to develop and equip, which was provided by the European Union (EU) through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s Namibia Tourism Development Programme.

The #Khaodi //Hoas Conservancy which means elephant’s corner situated is situated 90km west of Kamanjab and was one of the first four communal area conservancies to be gazetted by the Ministry in 1998.

Earlier this year, the conservancy signed a partnership agreement with EcoLogistix.
Under the agreement the conservancy owns all assets, accelerating benefits to the community and employees.

Ecologistics will undertake staff development and training, infrastructure maintenance, management, marketing logistics and booking, and would pay the Conservancy a percentage of income and profits. An income of about N$300,000 is expected to be generated for the conservancy within the first year.

The Conservancy undertakes to monitor the management team and ensure that a 12,000 ha area is zoned and managed exclusively for tourism activities.
#Khoadi //Hoas has 3,200 residents within its 3,366 square kilometers borders. Good environmental management practices being implemented by the conservancy have led to improvements in the local environment and an increase in wildlife such as desert-dwelling elephants, black rhinos, lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, mountain zebra, kudu, oryx and springbok.

Currently 20 local people are employed at the lodge, and it is expected that by the year 2009 all lodge employees including management will be drawn from the immediate area.

Namibia’s communal area conservancies are international leaders in community-based natural resource management. Currently there are 31 registered conservancies in Namibia.

Community Lodges of Namibia is an initiative developed in 2003 through a partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia Tourism Development Programme, Namibia Community-based Tourism Association and the Namibia Tourism Board.

The aims of community lodges are to contribute towards the financial self-sufficiency of conservancies, involvement in tourism, upgrade community-based tourism standards, and fill middle-market accommodation gaps in selected areas.

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