Namibia: Tsau//Khaeb National Park to get a facelift!

The Tsau//Khaeb National Park, formerly known as Sperrgebiet National Park, in Namibia is set to get a facelift. The country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) officially launched the construction of staff houses, offices and park entry gates on 12 July 2018. The facelift will furthermore include the refurbishment of the historic old post office building in Lüderitz as MET's local office, construction of a new office in Aus as well as the extension to the existing offices in Rosh Pinah and Oranjemund. The new entry gates will be constructed at the Lüderitz Peninsula in Lüderitz, in Kolmanskop, Rotkop, Garub, Aus, Obib, Sendelingsdrift and Swartkop. 


Tsau//Khaeb National Park, which covers an area of 22.000km², was proclaimed a National Park (Sperrgebiet National Park) in 2008. The Park is home to Brown Hyaena, Oryx, Springbok, Cape Fur Seal, Grey Rhebock, Heaviside's Dolphin, Southern Right Whale as well as to almost 60 wetland bird species along the Orange River, 120 terrestrial bird species, 100 reptile species, 16 frog species and 1050 plant species. Probably 90% or more of the invertebrates found in Tsau//Khaeb National Park have not been described by science.

Namibia: Sperrgebiet National Park now called Tsau //Khaeb National Park

The Government of Namibia has approved the name change of the Sperrgebiet National Park. The new name of the national park in the country's south is Tsau //Khaeb National Park. Tsau //Khaeb means "deep sandy soils" in the Nama language, and refers to the dune landscapes of the Namib Desert and the Karoo, which extends into South Africa. It has been recommended by the government that the name Sperrgebiet is written in brakcets when ever the park is mentioned, so that locals and travellers alike can get used to the new name.

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The Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park was proclaimed in December 2008 and is located off the B4, the main tarred road running between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. For more information about the national park, read our post from August 2012 "Namibia: Download 13 information panels about the Sperrgebiet National Park".

Namibia: Download 13 information panels about the Sperrgebiet National Park

The Sperrgebiet National Park is one of Namibia’s newest National Parks. The Park, located in south-western Namibia, covers an area of 26,000 km² and forms a part of the Succulent Karoo biome that extends down into South Africa. Members of the public used to be banned from entering most of the Sperrgebiet (meaning "forbidden territory"), but since the area was turned from an exclusive diamond mining area into a National Park in 2008, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) is planning to open the Park to visitors travelling with special concessionaires.

© Dr. Christian Goltz

Dr. Christian Goltz, a photographer from Windhoek, was commissioned by the Namibian Government to create visual and textual information materials for the new Sperrgebiet National Park. He recently finished his work and allowed us to share the 13 information panels (zip-file, 18,730 KB) he created. The panels will also be on display in an information centre at Kolmanskop and at other entrance points to the park once it is open to the public. The Sperrgebiet National Park is located off the B4, the main tarred road running between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. 

As mentioned above, tours into the Sperrgebiet National Park are currently not available, but the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is definitely planning to open the park to visitors. I reckon the best thing to do when in the area is to contact one of the MET offices in Lüderitz, Rosh Pinah or Oranjemund and to ask them if & when tours will be made available.

download the 13 information panels (zip-file, 18,730 KB) about the Sperrgebiet National Park >>