ERINDI Ranch is teeming with wildlife and hundreds of eland, oryx, kudu and zebra roam the vast space of over 65 000 hectares.
The presence of some 300 giraffe – the largest population outside the Etosha National Park – is an indicator that animals thrive in this private game park, which lies only 200 kilometres north of Windhoek. Most of the wild animals were introduced to the sanctuary in recent years – a huge investment – and a special game-catching team is resident at Erindi, fully equipped with a helicopter, temporary boma and a specially modified truck with trailer.”We even catch elephants; we are the only private game-catching unit which can do that,” says co-owner Gert Joubert, “but we hire veterinarians to accompany our team.”TRANSFORMATION Gert Joubert and his brother Chris bought the former cattle farm in 1986 but realised about 10 years ago what potential it held for tourism.The cattle were gradually sold, game species introduced, including some 20 hippos which live in two dams specially provided for them.”We have a few lions and elephants, but we want to increase their numbers to around 20 and 40 respectively,” Joubert told reporters who went on a trip to Erindi recently.To cover the enormous costs, Erindi currently serves as a trophy-hunting lodge.Around 50 hunters, mainly from the US and Europe, book a stay each year, bringing in around N$3 million.”That is not enough to develop the game park into a tourism lodge, we want to stop trophy hunting in future, but we need investment partners,” says Joubert.According to him, it is difficult to get investors, because banks are hesitant to grant loans with agricultural land as collateral.”This has to do with the land reform and the possibility that any commercial farm could be expropriated by Government,” he explains.A Russian millionaire recently offered N$100 million to buy Erindi, but the owners do not want to sell.”I’ve made contact with [American] billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet about if they are interested to invest here.Tourism is the fastest growing economic sector in Namibia,” Joubert says.NEXT PHASE The next phase is the development of a 60-bed tourist camp in the mountains for photo safaris and game viewing.Another camp in the western part of the huge private reserve is also on the drawing board.”We want 500 tourists coming to Erindi every day eventually, since tourism will create more revenue than farming while creating jobs,” the owner says.Already 50 workers are employed; half of them join the game-catching unit when necessary.Joubert sparked a debate recently when he proposed turning the whole of Namibia into a game park.”I would like tourism in Namibia to move into a new dimension and the best way to do it is to make Erindi an exemplary haven of nature two hours away from Windhoek,” says Joubert.Most of the wild animals were introduced to the sanctuary in recent years – a huge investment – and a special game-catching team is resident at Erindi, fully equipped with a helicopter, temporary boma and a specially modified truck with trailer.”We even catch elephants; we are the only private game-catching unit which can do that,” says co-owner Gert Joubert, “but we hire veterinarians to accompany our team.”TRANSFORMATION Gert Joubert and his brother Chris bought the former cattle farm in 1986 but realised about 10 years ago what potential it held for tourism.The cattle were gradually sold, game species introduced, including some 20 hippos which live in two dams specially provided for them.”We have a few lions and elephants, but we want to increase their numbers to around 20 and 40 respectively,” Joubert told reporters who went on a trip to Erindi recently.To cover the enormous costs, Erindi currently serves as a trophy-hunting lodge.Around 50 hunters, mainly from the US and Europe, book a stay each year, bringing in around N$3 million.”That is not enough to develop the game park into a tourism lodge, we want to stop trophy hunting in future, but we need investment partners,” says Joubert.According to him, it is difficult to get investors, because banks are hesitant to grant loans with agricultural land as collateral.”This has to do with the land reform and the possibility that any commercial farm could be expropriated by Government,” he explains.A Russian millionaire recently offered N$100 million to buy Erindi, but the owners do not want to sell.”I’ve made contact with [American] billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet about if they are interested to invest here.Tourism is the fastest growing economic sector in Namibia,” Joubert says.NEXT PHASE The next phase is the development of a 60-bed tourist camp in the mountains for photo safaris and game viewing.Another camp in the western part of the huge private reserve is also on the drawing board.”We want 500 tourists coming to Erindi every day eventually, since tourism will create more revenue than farming while creating jobs,” the owner says.Already 50 workers are employed; half of them join the game-catching unit when necessary.Joubert sparked a debate recently when he proposed turning the whole of Namibia into a game park.”I would like tourism in Namibia to move into a new dimension and the best way to do it is to make Erindi an exemplary haven of nature two hours away from Windhoek,” says Joubert.
