Justicia Shipena
The newly launched Namibia for Life Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) agreement aims to secure long-term funding for community conservancies and strengthen conservation efforts across Namibia.
The agreement was launched and signed in Windhoek on Wednesday.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Namibia country director Dr Juliane Zeidler said the programme was built through partnerships involving government, conservation organisations and international development partners, including the German government, KfW, USAID, the Millennium Challenge Account and the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs bureau.
Zeidler said declining donor funding forced conservation organisations to rethink long-term sustainability.
“When traditional bilateral funding began to decline, we had to rethink how to sustain this globally important programme,” she said.
She explained that the new financing model was developed to provide stable and predictable support for conservancies and conservation services.
“The Namibia for Life agreement represents a major breakthrough. Namibia is the first country in Africa to successfully close a project finance for permanence deal, marking a milestone for conservation financing on the continent,” Zeidler said.
She added that Namibia’s model focuses strongly on community conservancies rather than only state-protected areas.
According to Zeidler, the agreement will provide long-term support for extension services, compliance management and conservancy operations while reducing dependence on short-term donor funding.
“The PFP will provide long-term, predictable funding, particularly for extension services and compliance in conservancies – reducing the constant pressure to secure short-term funding,” she said.
The launch also introduced the Sustainable Enterprise Development Facility, which aims to support conservation-linked businesses and grow Namibia’s wildlife and rural bio-economy.
Zeidler said Namibia continues to stand out internationally because of strong cooperation between government and civil society in conservation work.
At the same event, prime minister Elijah Ngurare described the Project Finance for Permanence initiative as a partnership between government, conservancies, traditional authorities, civil society organisations, the private sector and WWF.
He said Namibia’s conservation success is rooted in community participation.
“Community empowerment must be genuine and transformative rather than symbolic,” he said.
Namibia had 87 communal conservancies and 48 community forests by 2024, supporting around 244 000 residents and employing more than 2 500 people, including over 700 game and forest guards.
“In 2025 alone, the programme contributed approximately N$109 million to the national economy,” Ngurare said.
He said challenges remain around governance, accountability and human-wildlife conflict, but the government remains committed to improving the programme.
Ngurare said Namibia must continue balancing conservation, industrial development and community empowerment under NDP6.
NACSO director Maxi Pia Louis said the Project Finance for Permanence initiative will help stabilise conservancies and improve long-term support systems.
“The PFP is more than an opportunity for stability and more continued investments into the delivery of critical extension services with a key focus on enabling the performance of communal conservancies.”
Louis said the programme will also help expand the NACSO Training Institute and improve training, leadership development and communication systems in conservancies.
“It gives us the ability to think beyond short funding cycles and to build systems that are sustainable and community-driven,” Louis said.
Louis stressed the need to involve young people more actively in conservation work.
National Conservancies and Community Forests Alliance chairperson Thomas Muronga said the initiative offers long-term support for people living alongside wildlife and managing natural resources daily.
He said communities continue facing pressure from climate change, human-wildlife conflict and economic hardship.
“Communities are the first line of conservation. We deal directly with human-wildlife conflict, protect forests, manage wildlife, and balance conservation with daily survival,” he said.
Muronga said the agreement gives conservancies the stability needed for long-term planning.
He also called for stronger support for youth, Indigenous communities and vulnerable groups.
“Our youth are ready to participate, but they need opportunities for training, jobs, and leadership. Without them, the future of community conservation is at risk,” Muronga said.
He said the programme should ensure resources reach communities directly.
“PFP means long-term, predictable support that allows communities to plan beyond one or two years. It means resources reaching the people doing the work,” he said.
Muronga added that communities must be treated as equal partners in conservation decision-making.
