Namibian hunting season now open

The Namibian hunting season commenced on 1 May, and in some instances, it will run until 31 August. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) announced the 2026 hunting season for game and game birds in the Namibian Government Gazette of 30 April.

According to government statistics, the country annually earns about N$400 million from professional hunting. Environment, Forestry and Tourism minister Indileni Daniel, communal conservancies earned about N$292.5 million from hunting activities between 2013 and 2024, while joint-venture tourism activities over the same period generated N$166.3 million.

The hunting season notice sets out legal hunting periods, hunting limits and restrictions on certain species.

Game species

Game species that may be hunted include oryx, springbok, kudu and warthog. The hunting season for these species depends on the fencing status of farms and conservancies.

On farms and conservancies with game-proof fences, these species may be hunted from 1 May to 31 August.
On adequately fenced farms, the season will run from 1 June to 31 July.
Hunting in conservancies under written permission may take place from 1 May to 31 August.

Regulations limit the number of animals that hunters may hunt during the season:

Hunters may only hunt one kudu per season.
Limits for other large and small game species are based on set combinations with a total equal to 12 small game animals, depending on the selected category.

Game bird species

Game bird species include helmeted guinea fowl, Common (Kurrichane) buttonquail, harlequin quail, francolins, doves, pigeons, sandgrouse and ducks.

The hunting season for game birds also varies by species:

Helmeted guinea fowl may be hunted from 1 June to 30 September, with only 10 birds per hunter per day.
Kurrichane buttonquail may be hunted from 1 May to 31 July with a daily limit of 10 birds.
Harlequin quail may be hunted from 1 June to 31 August with a limit of five birds per day.
Other species, including francolins, doves, pigeons, sandgrouse and ducks, have different hunting periods ranging from one to six months. Daily limits for these birds are between five and 10 birds, depending on the species.

Ethical hunting

The Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha) has upheld the highest standards of ethical and sustainable hunting for the past 50 years.

According to Napha, promoting responsible wildlife management has ensured that Namibia’s game populations thrive. “Thanks to conservation-focused hunting practices, even previously depleted species have been successfully reintroduced into their natural habitats,” according to its website.

According to Napha’s hunting season guidelines, the following rules apply:

Hunting season duration

The trophy hunting season in Namibia runs from 1 February to 30 November each year.
No hunting is allowed during December and January.

Hunting hours

Hunting is permitted from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset.

Hunting locations

Hunting is only allowed on registered hunting properties with landowner permission.

Hunting professionals and regulations

Hunting must be conducted with a registered Namibian hunting operator and a licensed hunting professional.

There are three categories of hunting professionals, namely:

Hunting guides (HGs), who are limited to their own registered hunting farms.
Master hunting guides (MHGs), who may operate on their own farms plus up to 10 additional registered hunting farms.
Professional (PHs), who may operate on any farm with written permission.

Specialist qualifications