🇬🇧 Sustainable Tourism
Tourism is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. Like all forms of economic development, it offers both opportunities and challenges.
On the one hand, tourism creates employment, generates foreign income, and contributes significantly to nature conservation and wildlife protection. On the other hand, it consumes resources, produces waste, and can place pressure on both the environment and local communities if not managed responsibly.
Recognising these challenges, Namibia introduced the Eco Award Namibia in 2005. The certification is awarded to tourism establishments that actively promote sustainable practices while supporting environmental awareness, staff development, and local employment. The objective is not only to create jobs, but also to improve living standards in a sustainable and long-term manner.
The Eco Award assesses a broad range of criteria, including nature conservation, wildlife management, water, waste and energy management, environmentally sensitive architecture, landscape integration, guiding standards, staff development, and social responsibility. Establishments are regularly reassessed, and the highest distinction awarded is 5 Flowers.
At Düsternbrook, environmental responsibility has always been an integral part of our philosophy. Our aim is to conserve natural resources, support the local community, and minimise our ecological footprint while maintaining an authentic and enjoyable guest experience.
We embraced these principles long before the Eco Award was established. In the program’s inaugural year, 2005, Düsternbrook was awarded 3 Flowers. Since 2015, we have consistently achieved the highest rating of 5 Flowers. At that time, only a small number of establishments in Namibia had reached this level, and Düsternbrook was the only guest farm among major lodge groups such as Wilderness and Gondwana to receive this distinction.
Although we no longer actively participate in the Eco Award programme, the principles behind the certification continue to guide our daily operations. Over the years, we have invested extensively in sustainable infrastructure, including a modern solar and battery-based three-phase power system that significantly increases our energy independence and reduces our environmental impact.
The information below provides an overview of the measures we have implemented in the various Eco Award categories and offers a deeper insight into our long-standing commitment to sustainable tourism.
🇬🇧 Water, Waste and Energy Management
At Düsternbrook, the responsible management of water, waste, and energy is a fundamental part of our commitment to sustainable tourism. Environmental awareness is actively promoted among our staff through regular discussions and training, while guests are encouraged to participate through information provided in their rooms and at our information centre.
Water Management
Water is Namibia’s most precious natural resource. As the driest country south of the Sahara, careful and sustainable water use is essential.
Our primary water source is a borehole approximately 70 metres deep, equipped with an electric pump and automatic shut-off system. In addition, a traditional wind pump supplies water to the main house area, while more remote sections of the farm are supplied through dams, wind-powered systems, and solar-driven pumps.
Water consumption is continuously monitored and recorded to ensure efficient use. Garden irrigation is controlled by an automated sprinkler system operating during the cool early morning hours, reducing evaporation losses to a minimum.
All wastewater from toilets, showers, and kitchen facilities is collected in a dedicated treatment system. The water passes through a three-chamber anaerobic treatment process and, since 2008, an additional trickling filter (aerobic treatment) has further improved water quality before it is returned to the environment.
We believe that responsible water management begins with minimising consumption. Our approach focuses on using water carefully and returning it to nature in the cleanest possible condition. For this reason, we do not reuse treated wastewater for irrigation. In our rural environment, the additional pumping and energy requirements would often outweigh the potential water savings. While water recycling can be highly effective in urban settings, it is not always the most sustainable solution under rural Namibian conditions.
One of the most effective long-term measures for improving water availability in Namibia is targeted bush thinning (de-bushing), which can significantly enhance groundwater recharge. Although this is a complex subject, it plays an important role in sustainable land management throughout the country.
Waste Management
Responsible waste management is equally important. Our objective is to ensure that neither tourism activities nor farming operations negatively affect the soil, groundwater, or surrounding environment.
The principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle form part of our daily operations.
Waste is carefully separated into paper, cardboard, glass, cans, hard plastics, and soft plastics. Recyclable materials are transported weekly to a recycling facility in Windhoek before being processed and sent on for further recycling.
Practical reuse is encouraged wherever possible. Glass jars are reused for homemade jams, envelopes are repurposed internally, single-sided printed paper is given a second use, and much of the organic waste is utilised as feed for our staff’s chickens.
Energy Awareness
Our approach to energy follows the same philosophy. Every form of energy production has an environmental impact. Our goal is therefore to minimise reliance on environmentally harmful energy sources and increasingly utilise renewable and sustainable alternatives wherever possible.
🇬🇧 Energy
At Düsternbrook, we place great emphasis on energy-efficient and environmentally responsible solutions.
Hot water is generated primarily through solar energy, while energy-saving LED lighting is used wherever possible. Water extraction from deep groundwater sources is largely powered by solar-driven pumps and wind energy, and most cooking is done with gas to reduce electricity consumption.
Sustainability also influences the design of our buildings. Thick natural stone walls, wide verandas, and carefully positioned windows provide natural temperature regulation, helping to keep interiors cool during summer and warm during winter while reducing the need for additional energy.
Our commitment to renewable energy began in 2010 with the installation of our first photovoltaic system. In 2016, the system was expanded by approximately 10 kW, increasing total capacity to around 19 kW. This enabled us to generate a significant portion of our own electricity and reduce overall energy consumption from the national grid by approximately 20–25%.
While this represented an important step forward, the system remained dependent on the national power grid. Without battery storage, solar energy could not be utilised during power outages, making further development necessary.
In 2024, we upgraded to a modern three-phase solar and battery system with a total capacity of 24 kW. The system provides backup power for approximately six hours during the night and ensures that most power interruptions have little impact on our guests. In the event of a grid failure, the system automatically switches over within seconds and continues supplying essential services until grid power is restored.
This investment has significantly increased our energy independence and resilience. When battery capacity is fully available, surplus solar energy can even be fed back into the national grid, allowing us to contribute—albeit on a small scale—to Namibia’s electricity supply.
Through these measures, we not only reduce our environmental footprint but also help create a more reliable and sustainable energy future.
🇬🇧 Nature and Wildlife Conservation
Nature conservation is deeply embedded in Namibia’s national identity and is one of the few environmental principles specifically protected by the country’s constitution. Namibia is home to a remarkable diversity of plants, animals, and insects, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Maintaining this biodiversity requires healthy ecosystems. The loss of even a single species can affect the delicate balance on which many others depend.
At Düsternbrook, our goal is to conserve this natural diversity while protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat for future generations. We are proud members of both the Khomas Hochland Conservancy and the Windhoek Greenbelt Landscape (WGBL), working together with neighbouring landowners to promote conservation on a landscape scale.
Like many regions of southern Africa, Namibia is already experiencing the effects of climate change, particularly through increasingly unpredictable and reduced rainfall. This creates additional challenges for both agriculture and wildlife conservation.
One of the most important conservation initiatives within the Windhoek Greenbelt Landscape has been the development of long-distance hiking trails that provide alternative sources of income for participating farms. Together with neighbouring properties, we helped establish a 90 km six-day hiking trail and a 54 km four-day hiking trail, allowing visitors to experience the beauty of the Khomas Highlands while contributing directly to conservation efforts.
The objective is simple: by creating income sources that are less dependent on rainfall, farms can reduce livestock numbers and place less pressure on fragile ecosystems. Even a modest reduction in grazing pressure can significantly improve a farm’s resilience during drought years.
In this way, low-impact tourism becomes a practical and effective conservation tool.
Another important milestone was the introduction of 15 Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras in 2002. This rare and iconic Namibian species is endemic to south-western Africa and is protected under international conservation agreements. Today, the population forms an important part of the wildlife diversity found on the reserve.
Since transforming Düsternbrook from a traditional cattle farm into a wildlife-based operation, we have deliberately avoided the routine removal of wild predators. Predators play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, and natural losses caused by them are accepted as part of a healthy and functioning ecosystem.
Tourism helps offset these costs economically, allowing wildlife and predators to coexist while providing a meaningful conservation benefit. In this way, every guest contributes directly to the protection of Namibia’s natural heritage simply by visiting Düsternbrook.
Guests who would like to learn more about the local wildlife, conservation projects, and the ecological history of the area are warmly invited to visit our information centre.
🇬🇧 Social Responsibility
For us, social responsibility means making a long-term commitment to improving the well-being of our employees, their families, and the wider community. We believe that sustainable tourism should create benefits not only for visitors and wildlife, but also for the people who live and work in the area.
As the owners of a family-run guest farm, we cannot change society as a whole. However, we can make a meaningful contribution within our own sphere of influence. Our goal is to provide our employees with stable employment, fair working conditions, opportunities for personal growth, and a dignified standard of living.
A particular focus is placed on education. We actively support the schooling of our employees’ children, helping to create better opportunities for the next generation.
Over the years, we have invested in comfortable staff housing equipped with running water, electricity, and modern sanitation facilities. Since 2025, Wi-Fi access has also been available in the staff village, providing improved access to information, communication, and educational resources.
Today, the children of our employees attend schools in Windhoek. Guest gratuities are used specifically to support educational expenses such as school fees, uniforms, books, and transport costs. This helps ensure that every child has access to a complete education.
In recognition of our commitment to employee welfare and development, Düsternbrook has received awards including Agricultural Employer of the Year.
Namibia has set ambitious development goals under its Vision 2030 programme. At Düsternbrook, we strive to contribute to these objectives through practical action, creating opportunities that improve living standards and support long-term economic development.
Staff Development
Training and personal development are central to our philosophy. Most learning takes place through practical on-the-job training, complemented by external courses such as cooking classes, driving instruction, and professional guide training.
Our aim is not only to develop skills, but also to build confidence and create opportunities for long-term career growth.
Over the years, several employees have benefited from opportunities that have significantly broadened their horizons. One former employee, for example, spent time in Germany as an au pair before returning to Namibia with valuable international experience and enhanced career prospects. Her success has inspired others, and similar opportunities continue to open new pathways for personal development.
We also support initiatives that provide vocational training and international career opportunities. While some qualified individuals may eventually pursue careers abroad, the overall benefit remains substantial: every trained and empowered individual contributes to the development of skills, knowledge, and opportunity within Namibia.
Education, training, and personal growth require time and commitment, but they remain among the most powerful drivers of long-term social and economic development.
🇬🇧 Guiding
At Düsternbrook, most of our guides have grown up on the farm or in the surrounding area. While many have had limited access to advanced formal education, they possess a wealth of practical knowledge and firsthand experience of the local environment.
For this reason, we place great emphasis on continuous training and personal development. Our approach combines practical on-the-job learning with selected external training courses.
The foundation of our training programme is our in-house system:
Düsternbrook Unabridged Safari Training (DUST)
The programme covers:
- Professional guiding skills
- Practical field experience
- Wildlife knowledge specific to Düsternbrook
- Nature conservation and environmental awareness
- Guest communication and safety
Since its introduction in 2009, the programme has been continuously refined and expanded. Our experience has shown that long-term practical training is often more effective than short intensive courses, allowing knowledge and skills to develop naturally over time.
In addition, selected guides participate in external training programmes to further improve their knowledge of wildlife, flora, and fauna, while also strengthening their language and communication skills.
To maintain high standards, we regularly invite guests to provide feedback on their experience, including guide performance. This helps us identify strengths, address areas for improvement, and continually enhance the quality of our guiding.
🇬🇧 Architecture & Landscape – A Sense of Place
A central principle at Düsternbrook is the concept of “Sense of Place” – the belief that buildings should complement the landscape rather than dominate it.
Our philosophy is simple:
Buildings should become part of the landscape, not stand apart from it.
This principle has guided both the preservation of historic structures and the development of newer facilities, including:
- Kitchen Extension (2008)
- Katrin Luxury Suite (2015)
- Point of View Lodge (2018)
All buildings are designed to blend naturally and unobtrusively into their surroundings.
Whenever possible, we use local natural materials, particularly stone sourced directly from the farm. Although this approach is often more costly than conventional construction methods, it offers several long-term advantages:
- Excellent integration into the natural landscape
- Exceptional durability and low maintenance requirements
- No regular repainting required
- A timeless and authentic appearance
The architectural style reflects the historical character of Namibia’s early farm buildings and incorporates features ideally suited to the local climate:
- Wide verandas that protect walls from direct sunlight
- Thick natural stone walls providing thermal stability
- Opposing windows that promote natural ventilation
Together, these elements create comfortable living spaces with reduced energy requirements while preserving the authentic atmosphere of a historic Namibian farm.
Inside, we favour simple décor based on natural materials, warm earth tones, and functional design. Historical artefacts such as an original ox wagon, a steam boiler, and traditional farming equipment help tell the story of Düsternbrook and its development over more than a century.
Guests wishing to learn more about the farm, its history, and the surrounding geology are welcome to consult our brochure: