The University of Namibia (Unam) last year offered a short-course certificate in environmentally sustainable tourism management (non-credit bearing) for the first time.
The nine-week course ran from September to November 2025 and was available to lodge-based managers and supervisors in tourism.
Online studies, project work and reading was facilitated and mentored by the Unam team.
Course content was aligned to research done by the Eco Awards audits and officiated by the Faculty of Agriculture, Engineering and Natural Sciences and the Department of Wildlife Management and Tourism Studies.
Mary Kimaro, Hazel Milne and Jona Heita facilitated the short course with working participants.
The admission criteria cited experience in tourism and hospitality management and/or an interest in sustainable tourism management for the course to fulfil its aims.
This professional development course was an ideal opportunity to upskill for meaningful, immediate application to the working environment by individuals without prior level 4 National Qualifications Framework qualifications.
The purpose of the course was to enable tourism and non-tourism operators to acquire knowledge and skills on how to manage tourism and non-tourism establishments in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Content covered included environmentally sustainable tourism and management processes, the evolution, impacts and mitigations of human-wildlife conflicts in Namibia, environmental clearance certificates, the Community-Based Natural Resource Management programme in Namibia, monitoring and reducing the consumption of non-renewable natural resources, types of waste, how to separate recyclables and reduce volumes of waste, applying social responsibility activities in an organisation, and social responsibility activities.
Workplace projects included drawing up environmental management plans, as well as participating in reflective learning and practical exercises on the social responsibility practices aligned to the workplace of the specific candidate.
Gondwana Collection Namibia employees participated and all received certification for their submissions.
The 16 Gondwana team members who participated are Muhinda Justice (a community liaison officer at Zambezi Collection), Mathias Ndana (a lodge manager at Chobe River Camp), Reginald van der Hoeven (a lodge manager at Namushasha River Lodge), Aldrin Siyama (a guide at Namushasha River Lodge), Kennedy Nzaki (an assistant lodge manager at Hakusembe River Lodge), Grant Januarie (a lodge manager at Hakusembe River Lodge), Davis Kwenani from Etosha Safari Collection,
Israel Thele (an assistant lodge manager at Palmwag Lodge), Benjie Tourob (another assistant lodge manager at Palmwag Lodge), Monique Tredoux (a sustainability officer), Rosanne Kahuure (a sustainability manager) Amalenge Aini (an assistant lodge manager at Canyon Lodge), Rodrik van Neel (a lodge manager at Canyon Lodge), Sunny Abrahams (a maintenance manager), David Nangombe (an assistant lodge manager at Namib Desert Collection), and Abiud Nangukui (the head guide at Namib Desert Collection).
Well done and congratulations to the team! We are very proud of all of you.
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