Frequently Asked Questions
Clear, factual answers to common questions about the concession.
To protect the environment, manage visitor flow, and ensure safety. Sossusvlei is a fragile desert ecosystem and part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Uncontrolled vehicle access causes irreversible damage to desert surfaces, disrupts wildlife corridors, and degrades the landscape. Regulated access through a concession model ensures that tourism and conservation coexist sustainably.
Self-drive access to the 2x4 parking area remains available. However, the final section from the 2x4 parking area to Deadvlei requires 4x4 capability and traverses deep sand. The concession provides professionally operated 4x4 excursions for this section, ensuring safety, reducing environmental impact, and managing vehicle numbers in the restricted zone.
The concession was awarded through a public tender process and replaced previous arrangements upon contract execution. The process was open, competitive, and conducted in accordance with Namibian public procurement and concession policy.
No. It is a time-bound concession awarded through open competition, subject to law and oversight. Concessions are a standard instrument of national park management worldwide, designed to balance commercial tourism with conservation objectives. The concession does not prevent self-drive access to the 2x4 parking area or lodge operators transporting their own guests.
The State, the concessionaire, and the two designated beneficiary communities — the Maltahöhe and !Karkhoen communities — as defined in the concession agreement. Seventy-five percent of the concession was awarded to these communities, with the Government of Namibia retaining twenty-five percent. Revenue flows are structured and transparent, with specific commitments to community employment, skills development, and social investment.
Yes. Visitors can drive themselves to the 2x4 parking area. The concession applies only to the operation of paid 4x4 excursion services from the 2x4 parking area into the restricted zone leading to Deadvlei.
Excursions can be booked online through our secure ticketing platform, which provides calendar-based availability, time-slot selection, and digital QR-code tickets. Subject to availability, tickets may also be purchased on site. Advance booking is recommended during peak periods.
All operations are conducted under the authority of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the signed Concession Operator Contract, and Namibia's national tourism and conservation policy framework.