The Africat Foundation
Founded in 1991, the non-profit AfriCat Foundation is set on Okonjima Farm and is dedicated to long-term conservation projects that are designed to protect Namibia’s large carnivores, particularly cheetah and leopard. Okonjima itself also offers a selection of luxurious accommodations and, thanks to its location to the northwest of Windhoek, may be visited easily. The combination of quality lodgings and exciting educational activities makes it a popular inclusion in many Namibia itineraries. The only accommodation options here are Okonjima's wonderful lodges, which have a variety of room types spread throughout the grounds, including private bush suites, bush camps and African villas.
Quick Facts:
- Aim: To educate as many people as possible about why conserving Africa's big cats and other large carnivores is so important.
- Origin: The AfriCat Foundation officially registered as a not-for-profit organisation in 1993.
- Projects: The AfriCat team want to restore Okonjima Nature Reserve to its original state, particularly for its leopard and hyena populations.
- Problem-Solving: Helping with the conflict between farmers and carnivores in Namibia is another crucial ongoing project.
"There is also an information and carnivore care centre, in which you can observe the project's works and meet some of the species ambassadors."
Location and Activities
Set just 225 kilometres away from the capital of Windhoek, the beauty of the AfriCat Foundation project is that it allows interested visitors to the Okonjima area to experience the project first-hand, gaining valuable insight into its regular activities, whilst simultaneously gaining a unique education of everyday wildlife conservation in Namibia.
Visitors can radio-track leopards from game-viewing vehicles, as these majestic creatures roam the nearby plains and catch their own prey within the 20,000 hectare private land within Okonjima Nature Reserve. Nocturnal hides can also present excellent opportunities to spot wildlife such as caracal, honey badgers and porcupines.
Another interesting activity for those visiting Okonjima is to join a Bushman walking trail, which is a relatively easy trail but highly informative, where you can learn the art of making traditional artifacts and discover how the San manage to survive in an otherwise forbidding desert landscape.
Contact us for a bespoke quote.