The Namibia Kalahari covers most of the central and south of Namibia. A semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains; the Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert; such as the Namib Desert to the west. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperatures are very high.
The Kalahari Basin is approximately 900,000 km² (350,000 sq mi) and stretches all the way from the Orange River in South Africa (Northern Cape) up to Angola; in the west well into Namibia, and in the east into Zimbabwe.
Lacking permanent surface water, the Kalahari is a challenging place to live; except for those who have adapted to not only survive but flourish here. The Bushmen refer to it as the “Soul of the World”. With its deep red dunes and endless grass plains interspersed with acacia and shrubs; it’s still home to a surprisingly large amount of specially adapted wildlife. Although there are only a few endemic species; there is still a wide variety of species found in the region, including large predators; such as the lion, cheetah, leopard, spotted hyena, brown hyena, and African wild dog. Other animals include wildebeest, springbok, other antelopes, porcupines, and ostriches.
Birds of prey include the secretary bird, the martial eagle; other eagles, the giant eagle owl, and many other owls; falcons, goshawks, kestrels, and kites. The Kalahari is also home to many migratory birds.
Some of the activities available in this region are scorpion night walks, nature drives, hiking, biking, and dune walks.
The Namibia section of the Kalahari is from Windhoek to the Fish River Canyon or Luderitz. Visit these pages to see tours that visit the Namib Kalahari.
