Apparent job losses through Etosha ban

The Namibian established that more than 100 tour guides and drivers could lose their jobs through the ban on empty Safari vehicles in Etosha. According to tour operators, more than 1 million Namibia Dollars have been lost so far due to cancellations. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry & Tourism (MEFT) banned those empty game-viewing vehicles in Etosha at the beginning of July, so that tourists cannot be picked up in resorts within Etosha close to the entrances, especially Okaukuejo and Namutoni, to do guided tours through Namibia’s most important National Park. No empty safari vehicles may be inside the park, also not for transit, it said in the MEFT instruction.

Companies or individuals not complying with this rule will face permanent eviction from Etosha National Park. There have been complaints about those vehicles as far back as 2018, according to MEFT. The conservation regulations are clear in this regard, it says.

Photo: Game-viewing vehicle; Source: Welcomematt22 at en.wikipedia – I created this work entirely by myself., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17889649