The ministry of environment and tourism said it recently announced that up to 18 hunting concessions on state land (excluding registered conservancies), including certain proclaimed protected areas or parts thereof, would be made available on an auction on 9 December 2004 in Windhoek. The concessions would be until 2009. It was also announced that incentives in the form of certain discounts would be provided to promote "economic empowerment of formerly disadvantaged Namibians through such hunting concessions". The Ministry received strong expressions of interest and many enquiries from companies and individuals, including those who have not previously been involved in the hunting industry, concerning these hunting concessions and empowerment incentives announced.

According to Permanent Secretary Dr Malan Lindeque, the Ministry from this good public response realised that many companies and individuals would need additional time and also guidance from the Ministry to structure themselves appropriately in order to achieve the empowerment objectives of the exercise.

The Ministry would allow further opportunities to make the necessary arrangements, and conduct additional consultations with the Ministry and other stakeholders. It has therefore decided to postpone the auction of 9 December 2004. Hunting concessions would instead be made available in the first half of 2005, and that the process may include a new step of prior submission to the Ministry of company profiles concerning empowerment and benefit sharing arrangements. A further announcement will be made in due course to advise interested parties what information in this regard needs to be submitted prior to the intended auction, Lindeque said in a statement on Wednesday. Hunting concessions are to be granted in the Eastern Caprivi’s Mamili and Mudumu National Parks, the former Caprivi Game Park now Bwabwata National Park, Mahango Game Park, the Eastern Okavango Region between Kano Vlei and the border to Kaudom, Waterberg Plateau Park, Kaross Camp, Hobatere, Palmwag, Daan Viljoen and Von Bach Game Parks and Namib Naukluft Park.