On 23 April 2025, a powerful conversation unfolded during a virtual webinar hosted by the Namibian Youth Chamber of Environment. Titled “Uncovering Plant Poaching and How the Youth Can Lead the Way in Protecting Our Flora”, the session brought to light a pressing yet often overlooked environmental issue: the illegal harvesting and trafficking of Namibia’s unique, rare and endemic plant species.
Two passionate professionals led the discussion, Mr. Tulonga Kalipi, Junior Data Analyst at Blue Rhino, and Mr. Konis Shaanika, Warden in Wildlife Protection Services at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). Together, they analysed the complex and alarming networks behind plant poaching in Namibia.
© MEFTAt the heart of the problem is a phenomenon called “plant blindness”, a term used to describe how people tend to disregard the significance of plants in our ecosystems. Unlike elephants or rhinos, plants don’t often stir public emotion, yet they play a critical role in sustaining life on Earth. This lack of awareness has created fertile ground for illegal trade to take root and spread. Namibia, with its wealth of rare and uniquely shaped flora, especially in arid regions, has become a prime target for plant traffickers. The speakers highlighted how collectors, mainly from international markets, are driving demand for unique plants, turning Namibia’s natural resources into commodities.
Trafficking networks have become increasingly organised, with routes stretching from Namibia through South Africa and into Angola, Zambia, and as far as Tanzania. The involvement of both Namibian and South African nationals further complicates the enforcement landscape.
Worryingly, crime statistics from 2020 to 2023 show a steady increase in plant poaching cases in Namibia. These are not isolated incidents, but point to a growing syndicate-driven operation that treats endemic flora with the same criminal intensity as wildlife poaching. This illegal activity is not only threatening biodiversity but also undermining conservation efforts across the region.
© MEFTThe discussion also emphasised the importance of regional cooperation. Given the cross-border nature of the trade, collaboration with neighbours like South Africa, Zambia and Angola is essential. Equally critical is treating plant poaching as a serious crime, on par with the poaching of iconic animal species. As the session drew to a close, one message was clear: protecting Namibia’s flora is not just the work of law enforcement alone; it’s a mission that belongs to all of us. And with the passion and energy shown by the youth during this webinar, the country’s plants may just have their fiercest allies yet.
The Namibia Nature Foundation, through the INL5 project of the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement, support the Blue Rhino Task Team through the Rooikat Trust and Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) at critical border posts to better capacitate and resource these law enforcement agencies. The aim is to get ahead of these criminal entities, ensuring the scales of risk and reward are tipped in favour of the prosecutors with arrests, robust sentencing and ultimately the safeguarding of our country’s unique plant species for generations to come.
Report by Sunnypo Imalwa, Namibia Nature Foundation.