Cabinet has approved the appointment of Margaret Gustavo as Caretaker and Acting Managing Director of Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) for a two-year period ending April 2028, as government moves to stabilise the struggling state-owned tourism entity.
Gustavo, the former Executive for Competitiveness and Branding at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, replaces Matthias Ngwangwama, whose contract was not renewed.
Gustavo’s appointment, which took effect on 1 May 2026, was communicated to NWR board chairperson Ambassador Herold /Uirab by Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel.
Cabinet has also directed the Ministry, in collaboration with NWR, to develop a “comprehensive turnaround strategy” for the parastatal over the next 24 months.
The Minister instructed the NWR board to urgently implement the Cabinet decision and ensure all administrative and operational measures are put in place to facilitate Gustavo’s assumption of duties.
The appointment comes as NWR continues to face operational and financial challenges, with growing pressure on state-owned enterprises to improve governance, profitability and service delivery.
NWR operates several tourism lodges and resorts located within the country’s national parks and conservation areas.
