Chamwe Kaira
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has announced the 2026 hunting season for game animals and game birds in Namibia, with some hunting activities allowed until the end of August.
The hunting season was published in the government gazette dated 30 April.
The notice was signed by environment, forestry and tourism minister Indileni Daniel.
Namibia earns about N$400 million every year from professional hunting, according to government statistics.
The ministry said communal conservancies earned N$292.5 million from hunting activities between 2013 and 2024.
During the same period, joint-venture tourism activities generated N$166.3 million.
The notice sets out the legal hunting periods, species restrictions and daily hunting limits.
Huntable game species include kudu, oryx, springbok and warthog, hunting seasons will differ depending on the fencing status of farms and conservancies.
On game-proof fenced farms and conservancies, hunting will run 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 will also be allowed from 1 May to 31 August.
The regulations also limit the number of animals hunters may take during the season. Hunters are only allowed to hunt one kudu per season.
Limits for other large and small game species are based on set combinations, with a maximum total equal to 12 small game animals depending on the selected category.
The hunting season for game birds also varies by species. Helmeted guinea fowl may be hunted from 1 June to 30 September, with a limit of 10 birds per hunter per day.
Kurrichane buttonquail may be hunted from 1 May to 31 July with a daily limit of 10 birds, while 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, will have different hunting periods ranging from one to six months.
Daily limits for these birds range between five and 10 birds, depending on the species.
