Text : Niseth van der Meulen
Photos : Helge Denker et Niseth van der Meulen
After Independence from South Africa in 1990, tourism numbers to Namibia increased. In those days the tourism industry consisted mainly of big, well established companies. Slowly however, the local communities also started to realise the potential tourism held for them in terms of income and empowerment.
Small tourism initiatives began in the form of Community Based campsites, tours, or crafts initiatives. However, their small size limited them from entering the tourism industry as real players.
Therefore, in 1995, the Namibia Community Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA) was formed by a group of 16 community businesses. The initial focus was on advocacy work ; trying to get the government to introduce the necessary policy and legislation to create an enabling environment for communities to get involved in tourism. Soon it became apparent that this form of support was not adequate as communities struggled to find the funding necessary to build the businesses. They also lacked the background and knowledge necessary to run a tourism business.
NACOBTA became the place where communities or individuals turn to whenever they need advice or assistance.
In broad lines the services that NACOBTA provides to its members can be summarised as : Training, Business advice, Marketing, Funding, Product development, Advocacy, Joint Venture support between private investors and communities, Networking and PR, and Regional Tourism Planning.
Over the years the tasks and support services of NACOBTA have extended from only community support to a wider range of stakeholders. For example, NACOBTA focuses more and more on developing entrepreneurship within communities. This means individuals with the right skills and attitude are supported in getting their business on track. In return they pay the wider community rent or a concession fee.
NACOBTA has also successfully mediated between private investors and communities regarding tourism developments, so called Joint Ventures. This means that investors come with the funding and knowledge to develop a tourism business and the communities contribute land, water, staff and natural resources. Investors pay the communities a management fee for maintaining the land. Since 2002 several contracts have been signed guaranteeing a fair income from tourism for the communities on which these projects were developed.
Furthermore, the organisation is actively involved in the new Black Economic Empowerment Charter, drawn up by the private sector. The Charter aims to include more black players into the industry and transfer skills to new black talent.
NACOBTA also assists the government with policy design regarding Community Based Tourism. For most private companies and tourists, NACOBTA is the link between the community initiatives and we provide information, booking services and travel advice.
Finally, internationally the organisation has gained a lot of respect for the way it has addressed CBT. It has also created an environment in which CBT could be included in the mainstream tourism sector. After ten years of existence it is one of the oldest and most experienced NGO’s in the field of Community Based Tourism worldwide.
Currently, NACOBTA has 57 members all through the country, of which 38 are open for business and generating enough income to cover costs. These include a wide variety of services and products in all cultural parts of the country such as campsites, fixed accommodation, crafts centre’s, guiding services, museums, and cultural centre’s. All information about the members and their products can be found on the NAOCBTA website : www.nacobta.com. Contact details and a booking service are also available there.
Contact
Olga Katjiuongua (coordinator)
PO Box 86099, Windhoek
3 Weber Street, Windhoek West
Tel. :+264 (0)61-250558
Fax :+264 (0)61-222647
Email : olga.nacobta@iway.na
Internet : www.nacobta.com.na
Language : English and Afrikaans
Bookings for members’ enterprises can be done through our website or directly to the enterprises. A list of members and contact details can be found below
Cultural Information
NACOBTA represents a diverse cultural variety of members from all over the country. A CBT tour past our members would take you from the Bondelswart people from the far South to the Himba tribe in the North West. You would meet Bushmen in the East and Owambo people in the North Central. The city tours combine all these cultures, flvours and tastes in tours through the townships of Windhoek and Swakopmund.
This book would not be enough to list all the different aspects of Nambia’s inhabitants, but NACOBTA’s website discusses this patchwork of cultures in more detail. Some of the cultural highlights are the Bondelswart Nama of Warmbad, who rose against the German colonial masters in 1903 - it was a prelude to the uprising of the Herero and Nama in 1904. Today the people commemorate the sad events and contemplate its roots with colourful commemorations. You can find all about the Bondelswarts in the Warmbad Museum. Another unique tribe are the San, also called Bushmen, who were scattered over vast areas of southern Africa. They lived wherever game and veld foods were available in sufficient quantities. But when other peoples migrated into the region from the north and south the San were forced to retreat further and further - mostly into the semi-desert of the Kalahari basin which spreads from South Africa and across the border area between Namibia and Botswana up to Angola and Zambia. Two San run campsites are member of NACOBTA. They also offer guests an insight in their way of hunting and trekking by taking tourists with them in the veld.
To keep tourists up to date, NACOBTA publishes five articles every month with all the “ins and outs” of tourism in Namibia on our website. These articles will also keep you up-to-date of upcoming cultural events.