By:Hilya Ngolo
The Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has awarded Sandwich Dune Tours and Safari as the operator for Dune 7 inside Dorob National Park.
Sandwich Dune Tours and Safari emerged as the successful bidder out of 18 companies that applied for a tender, which was advertised by the MEFT, which was initiated on 18 November 2022 and closed on 27 January 2023.
The company will take over management soon and it is expected to employ at least 45 workers as part of its operations.
This decision comes after MEFT perceived the issue of littering and vandalism from the public and outcry from the visitors due to the lack of water infrastructure.
MEFT’s Chief Public Relations Officer Romeo Muyunda said the Ministry renovated the area and added more toilets for the convenience of the visitors. The tender will serve as a long-term solution to keep the place clean and convenient.
He further mentioned that to enhance visitors’ experience, the company will offer various activities such as dune climbing, stargazing and paragliding, to name a few.
The company will develop a restaurant that will be open daily and can also be used to host events such as weddings or corporate functions. Entrance to the restaurant will be free however, the company will charge different levy fees to visitors for other activities. These fees will be communicated once the company starts its operations.
The Minister, last year in November, mentioned that the ablution facilities and other infrastructure at the recreational area were vandalised to the point where they were non-functional and cost a significant amount of money to repair.
Dune 7 was previously free to the public but following the incidents, the Ministry developed a fee structure followed as no charge for Namibian children under the age of 16 and no charge for children under the age of 8 for all nationals.
Namibians over the age of 16 will be charged N$50. Visitors who are from SADC countries and over the age of 8 and not exceeding 16 years will be charged N$50, while visitors from other countries over the age of 8 and not exceeding 16 years will be charged N$100 per person. Visitors from SADC countries over the age of 16 will be charged N$100 and visitors from other countries, over the age of 16 will be charged N$150.