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Thursday, 23 July 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Thursday, 23 July 2026
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Namibian press · Organization

Namibia Wildlife Resorts

Also known as: NWR

State-owned entity managing Namibian national parks and tourism resorts including Etosha and Fish River Canyon, currently undergoing turnaround strategy.

2021-08-192026-07-23

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. July 2026
  2. The Namibian

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) says will remain closed Duwisib Castle until operations and maintenance completed

    Source

    THE Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) says one of its historic resorts, Duwisib Castle, will remain closed until several operations, maintenance and infrastructure requirements are completed.

    NWR’s Duwisib Castle remains closed
  3. The Namibian

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts has dismissed allegations of plans to privatise some resorts

    Source

    The announcement comes amid allegations from insiders that the state-owned tourism company plans to privatise some of NWR's resorts including part of this national heritage site – claims company has dismissed.

    NWR’s Duwisib Castle remains closed
  4. June 2026
  5. The Namibian

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) announced temporary closure of the Fish River Canyon hiking trail due to rising river levels

    Source

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) on Sunday announced the temporary closure of the Fish River Canyon hiking trail due to rising river levels.

    All 96 Fish River Canyon hikers rescued safe and uninjured
  6. Informanté

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts supported the rescue operation and temporarily closed Fish River Hike until conditions are declared safe

    Source

    The Namibian Police, supported by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), deployed rescue teams and an Air Support Services helicopter to locate and evacuate those trapped. NWR has since temporarily closed the Fish River Hike until conditions are declared safe.

    All 96 trapped Fish River Canyon hikers rescued
  7. The Namibian

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) is rescuing 96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon

    Source

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) is in the process of rescuing 96 hikers trapped in the Fish River Canyon since Sunday.

    NWR rescuing 96 hikers from Fish River Canyon
  8. The Namibian

    NWR announced temporary closure of Fish River hiking trail

    Source

    The company has also announced the temporary closure of the Fish River hiking trail until further notice.

    NWR rescuing 96 hikers from Fish River Canyon
  9. Informanté

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts announced temporary closure of Fish River Hike due to safety concerns

    Source

    NWR announced yesterday the temporary closure of the Fish River Hike due to safety concerns caused by heavy rainfall in the Naute Dam catchment area and the opening of the dam's sluice gates.

    96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon as rescue operation underway
  10. Informanté

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) announced temporary closure of the Fish River Canyon Hike

    Source

    THE Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) has announced the temporary closure of the Fish River Canyon Hike.

    Fish River Canyon hike closed due to heavy rainfall in the Naute Dam catchment area
  11. May 2026
  12. Informanté

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) announced Fish River Hiking Season will open on Friday, 15 May 2026

    Source

    THE Fish River Hiking Season will officially open on Friday, 15 May 2026, following a temporary postponement due to high water levels in the Fish River Canyon, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) has announced.

    Fish River Hiking Season to open on 15 May after safety assessments
  13. Informanté

    NWR said water levels in the canyon have subsided to safe and manageable conditions

    Source

    In a statement, NWR said recent assessments and monitoring of the hiking trail confirmed that water levels in the canyon have subsided to safe and manageable conditions, allowing for the resumption of one of Namibia's most iconic hiking experiences.

    Fish River Hiking Season to open on 15 May after safety assessments

Wednesday 15 July

  1. Namibia Wildlife Resorts' Duwisib Castle remains closed

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts says Duwisib Castle will remain closed until operations, maintenance and infrastructure requirements are completed. The resort has been closed to visitors since 2022 following Covid-19 impact and ongoing maintenance challenges, amid claims the state-owned company plans to privatise some resorts.

    15 July 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 14 July

  1. MTC achieves perfect score in 2026 public enterprise governance rankings

    Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) scored 20 out of 20 in IJG Securities' 2026 Public Enterprise Governance Ranking, which assessed public enterprises over five years on annual report publication, profitability, fiscal transfer reliance, and CEO stability. NamPort, Agribank, and NamibRe placed second with 19 points each, while NamPower and NamWater tied for fifth with 18 points.

    14 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer

Tuesday 23 June

  1. Namibian police helicopter rescues 68 tourists from flooded canyon

    Rising water levels in the Fish River Canyon left 96 tourists stranded, with many exit points blocked. The Namibian Police Force used a helicopter to airlift 68 hikers from various points in the canyon on 22 June 2026, with all rescued without injuries.

    23 June 2026 · Informanté

  2. All 96 Fish River Canyon hikers rescued safely

    All 96 hikers stranded in the Fish River Canyon since Sunday have been rescued after overflowing dams caused dangerous water levels downstream. The hikers, part of Namibia Wildlife Resorts' annual winter hike, became trapped after heavy rains filled the Naute Dam beyond capacity, forcing NamWater to open its sluice gates.

    23 June 2026 · The Namibian

  3. All 96 Fish River Canyon hikers safely evacuated after flooding

    Heavy rainfall and dam releases caused water levels in Fish River Canyon to rise sharply, trapping nine hiking groups. The Namibian Police successfully evacuated all 96 hikers, including children, with no injuries reported.

    23 June 2026 · Informanté

Monday 22 June

  1. NWR rescuing 96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts is rescuing 96 hikers from nine groups stranded in Fish River Canyon since Sunday after heavy rains caused the Naute Dam to exceed capacity, forcing NamWater to open sluice gates that sent dangerous, rapidly rising water downstream. The Fish River hiking trail has been temporarily closed until conditions are declared safe.

    22 June 2026 · The Namibian

  2. 96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon during flood

    Ninety-six hikers, including school children, are trapped in Fish River Canyon after heavy rainfall and dam releases caused water levels to rise. Police and Namibia Wildlife Resorts have launched a rescue operation involving ground teams and a helicopter.

    22 June 2026 · Informanté

Sunday 21 June

  1. Fish River Canyon hike closed due to heavy rainfall and dam overflow

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts has temporarily closed the Fish River Canyon Hike following heavy rainfall in the Naute Dam catchment area and the opening of sluice gates, which pose a safety risk. The Naute Dam reached 117.3% capacity and released water at about 780 m³/s into the Fish River, while the Neckartal Dam also overflowed at 105.7% capacity with a spilling rate of 870 m³/s.

    21 June 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 14 May

  1. Margaret Gustavo appointed NWR acting managing director for two years

    Cabinet has approved the appointment of Margaret Gustavo as acting managing director of Namibia Wildlife Resorts for a two-year period ending April 2028, as government moves to stabilise the state-owned tourism entity. Cabinet has also directed the Ministry to develop a comprehensive turnaround strategy for the parastatal over the next 24 months.

    14 May 2026 · The Namibian

  2. Fish River hiking season opens May 15 after water safety checks

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts announced that the Fish River Hiking Season will officially open on 15 May 2026, following a temporary postponement due to high water levels in the canyon. Recent assessments confirmed water levels have subsided to safe and manageable conditions.

    14 May 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 7 May

  1. Competition Commission scrutinized over conservancy tourism investigation

    The Namibian Competition Commission faces criticism for investigating conservancy tourism partnerships, with the Chamber of Environment calling instead for a probe into Namibia Wildlife Resorts' alleged anti-competitive dominance in national parks. The dispute raises questions about whether competition law is being applied in a way that could undermine the communal conservancy tourism model that supports rural livelihoods and conservation.

    7 May 2026 · The Namibian

Saturday 2 May

  1. NWR postpones Fish River hiking trips to second week of May

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts has postponed all Fish River Canyon hiking activities scheduled to commence on 1 May to the second week of May due to significantly increased water levels and strong river flows caused by recent rainfall. The Naute Dam sluices were opened by NamWater after the dam level exceeded 111% capacity.

    2 May 2026 · The Namibian

Sunday 26 April

  1. Minister orders inquiry into tribal bias at Roads Authority

    Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi ordered an investigation into alleged tribal bias in recruitment at the Roads Authority, finding it employs about 74 people from the Zambezi region compared to more than 300 from northern Namibia. The probe has revived broader allegations of tribalism in hiring practices across Namibian state-owned enterprises and government offices.

    26 April 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 31 March

  1. New waste facility at Etosha underscores environmental education importance

    The Minister of Environment has inaugurated a Solid Waste Management Facility at Etosha National Park, emphasizing the need for environmental education alongside infrastructure to improve waste management practices. The facility, funded by the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, addresses poor waste management at wildlife resorts and will be operated by Rent-A-Drum.

    31 March 2026 · Informanté

Thursday 12 March

  1. Aupindi proposes commodity dividends to hedge currency volatility

    Swapo MP Tobie Aupindi has proposed a "Commodity Dividend Model" under which Namibia would receive mining and resource dividends in physical commodities like gold, uranium, and lithium rather than fiat currency, arguing this would protect the country against inflation and currency volatility while building a strategic reserve. Aupindi also called for greater industrialisation, more effective taxation of mineral rents, reform of state-owned enterprises, and a shift from passive SACU reliance toward regional value chains and manufacturing.

    12 March 2026 · New Era

Tuesday 10 March

  1. Arts ministry consults on reviving dormant Namibian music awards

    The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture has invited industry stakeholders to help shape the return of the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs), which have been dormant since MTC withdrew funding in 2020. A stakeholder engagement session is scheduled for 14 March to strengthen the awards' credibility and gather input on award categories, industry development needs, and future direction.

    10 March 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 6 March

  1. Hai||om Association sues for N$2.8 trillion over Etosha expulsion

    The Hai||om Association, formed in 2024, has filed a lawsuit claiming N$2.8 trillion in compensation for the expulsion of Hai||om San members from Etosha National Park and the Mangetti West farms, alleging German colonial genocide, subsequent human rights violations, and a forced eviction in 1954. The association seeks either ownership of the land, equivalent replacement land, or compensation equal to the estimated market value of the disputed territories.

    6 March 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 3 March

  1. NTB promotional banners feature wildlife that don't exist in Namibia

    The Namibian Tourism Board used banners depicting a Thompson's Gazelle (which does not occur in Namibia) and an AI-generated elephant at international tourism fairs. The opinion piece awards the NTB, NIPDB, and South African Airways "Mamparra of the Year" for the embarrassing error.

    3 March 2026 · Informanté

Wednesday 11 February

  1. Namibia elevates tourism protection unit to national police leadership

    Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo has moved the Tourism Protection Unit from regional to national oversight, expanding it from four to 15 officers and equipping it with resources including vehicles and communication tools to combat crimes against tourists, including theft, fraud and online scams that damage Namibia's reputation as a safe destination.

    11 February 2026 · New Era

Friday 6 February

  1. Parliament calls for stronger natural resources policies and funding

    Namibia's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources has recommended stronger policies, funding, and inter-ministerial collaboration to unlock the country's resource potential and align sector strategies with national development priorities including Vision 2030. The mining sector contributed 13.3% to GDP in 2024, while the government received N$7.32 billion in mining revenue, but challenges persist in land reform, energy, and conservation funding.

    6 February 2026 · New Era

Sunday 1 February

  1. Namcor faces substandard fuel allegations from Botswana supplier

    Botswana Oil flagged that fuel trucks loaded from Namcor's Walvis Bay terminal in early January failed quality tests for octane rating, raising concerns that substandard fuel may have entered Namibia's retail network and could damage engines. Namcor disputes the allegations, saying the product met specifications at discharge and underwent standard testing procedures.

    1 February 2026 · The Namibian

Monday 26 January

  1. NBC denies plans to re-interview director general candidates

    The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation has denied allegations that it intends to conduct re-interviews for the director general position, a role vacant since outgoing chief Stanley Similo's contract expired last year. NBC board chairperson Lazarus Jacobs said the recruitment process remains incomplete and that any claims about re-interviews are "speculation, innuendo and rumour mongering."

    26 January 2026 · The Namibian

Saturday 10 January

  1. Namibia Wildlife Resorts pledges facility upgrades and service reforms

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts has acknowledged public complaints about service delivery and facility conditions at Etosha National Park, citing festive season visitor concerns raised on social media and reports of waste management failures. The company says it is implementing unannounced quality audits, phased maintenance upgrades prioritizing high-impact areas, and enhanced staff training through a partnership with NUST to improve guest experience.

    10 January 2026 · Informanté

Namibia Wildlife Resorts — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute