Heja Game Lodge is set to shut down its operations following its acquisition by new owners.
According to information gathered by The Brief, employees were notified of the closure plans on Monday, with operations scheduled to cease on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
“We were informed on Monday that Heja Lodge will be closing on the 15th of July,” said an anonymous employee who spoke to The Brief.
“We are not aware of the new owner’s plans for the property. We were provided with a separation package and will not be continuing with the new owners. All employees will be retrenched as of the 15th.”
The game lodge, located between Windhoek and Hosea Kutako International Airport, has a staff complement of approximately 50 employees and offers 50 rooms and conference facilities.
The lodge’s closure comes at a time when Namibia’s tourism sector is expected to experience growth this year, according to the latest data released by Simonis Storm Research. The occupancy rate across hospitality establishments nationwide increased by 11.4 percentage points compared to May 2022, indicating ongoing recovery efforts in the sector.
However, when compared to the previous month, the occupancy rate of 50.8% represents a slight decrease of one percentage point from the figure of 51.8% recorded in the preceding month.
