In a bold stride towards securing Namibia's ecological future, Gondwana Collection Namibia, ERP Conservation Foundation Namibia with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) proudly announces the establishment of what will be the world’s largest privately-owned Black Rhino Sanctuary in the Fish River Canyon landscape of southern Namibia.
This landmark conservation initiative is rooted in three decades of ecological restoration and rewilding within the Gondwana Canyon Park. In the mid-1990s, a bold dream to rehabilitate overgrazed livestock farms has evolved into one of Africa’s largest and most ambitious privately managed conservation areas.
Photo credits: Gondwana Collection Namibia
Today, the Park is managed by a highly skilled team of park managers, rangers, and environmental specialists who conduct annual game counts, ecological monitoring, alien plant removal, and anti-poaching patrols. Gondwana Collection’s approach to land stewardship is codified in its Ecological Management Plan promoting open ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and the co-management of wildlife corridors with neighbours and national parks.
The results speak for themselves.
Once-barren landscapes have rebounded with life, and the sounds of native wildlife have returned to the canyon. It has been over 150 years since black rhinos freely roamed this landscape. Now, finally, this majestic megafauna returns home to a rugged and awe-inspiring Nama Karoo landscape, a landscape fit for desert-adapted wildlife that needs space, solitude, and resilience to thrive.
With fewer than 5,500 individuals remaining in the wild, the Black Rhino is one of Africa's most endangered large mammals, conservation initiatives like this are critical to reversing their decline. This next phase aims to protect and expand the habitat of the Black Rhino, along with other vulnerable species once native to the region. Developed in close collaboration with MEFT’s Black Rhino Custodianship Programme (now in it’s fourth decade), the sanctuary represents a long-term commitment to conservation through sustainable and ecologically sound management practices.
Stakeholder
Gondwana Collection Namibia has dedicated its Gondwana Canyon Park as the heart of the sanctuary and brings three decades of experience in managing the park through sound park management systems that support ecological integrity and tourism-led conservation.
Joy over the joint venture agreement (left to right, back): Quintin Hartung (Gondwana Environmental & Social Impact Manager), Tinus Hansen (ERP Namibia Managing Director), Manni Goldbeck (Gondwana Brand & Marketing Director); (left to right, front) Gys Joubert (Gondwana Managing Director) and Willem Bodenstein (ERP Namibia)
“This sanctuary is not just about rhinos, it’s about restoring balance to a region that holds immense natural and national value,” said Gys Joubert, Managing Director of Gondwana Collection Namibia. “We are proud to contribute to this shared legacy under the leadership of the Ministry and alongside ERP,” he added.
ERP Namibia brings cutting-edge anti-poaching and surveillance expertise into the equation and has developed a proven, tech-enabled wildlife protection model integrating satellite tracking, perimeter fencing, intelligence-led patrolling, and local informer networks. “ERP’s involvement is a game-changer,” said Tinus Hansen, ERP Namibia Managing Director. “We bring the necessary technology and experience to safeguard this keystone species, while uplifting surrounding communities through meaningful environmental and social impact projects.”
The Black Rhino Sanctuary benefits from its location within a vast conservation landscape. It borders the /Ai-/Ais–Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, adding a swathe of unfenced land that enables free movement of wildlife and supports broader rhino metapopulation management. This positioning unlocks powerful opportunities for transboundary conservation, echoing Namibia’s leadership in regional ecological cooperation, significantly strengthening conservation impact and long-term ecological resilience.
MEFT will serve as an active and strategic partner, offering regulatory oversight, guidance on implementation, and alignment with Namibia’s national conservation frameworks.
Way Forward
ERP’s dedicated anti-poaching units will be deployed to safeguard the rhinos and other species as reintroduction efforts commence. These protection measures will form a key part of the long-term management of the area.
Photo credits: Gondwana Collection Namibia
Rhino tourism is central to the long-term sustainability of the sanctuary. Gondwana is developing immersive rhino experiences including tracking, educational safaris, and sleep-out experiences in the wild. A new rhino information centre at Canyon Roadhouse will deepen public engagement.
These rhino tourism products, combined with the sanctuary’s anti-poaching operations, will generate sustainable employment and long-term benefits not only for the local community, but for Namibia at large. This sanctuary symbolizes a new era in Black Rhino conservation: ambitious, collaborative, and built for resilience.
All stakeholders - national and international, public and private - are invited to join this legacy initiative to protect the world’s most threatened rhino population and restore life to one of the planet’s oldest landscapes.
For media inquiries or more information, please contact:
Gondwana Collection Namibia
Email: pr(at)gcnam.com
Webseite: www.gondwana-collection.com
Elephant Rhino People Namibia (ERP)
EMail: tinus.hansen(at)erp.ngo
Website: www.erp.ngo
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