The newly appointed camp manager of the Khorixas Rest Camp, Twamangululwa Ndakeva, has expressed excitement about being put in charge of the affairs of the rest camp.

The camp is part of Namibia Wildlife Resorts' Adventure Collection and is strategically located on a popular tourist route from the coast to the inland.

Ndakeva (36), whose first name, Twamangululwa, means 'independence' or 'freedom', took up the post at the start of January.

He said he still needs to introduce himself to the community and meet with stakeholders, such as police, traditional authorities, and Khorixas tourism operators.

"I am so excited about this place; the environment and people – everything seems so friendly, but at the beginning everything seemed new to me, but I am playing around with the environment now. I am well settled in; everything is going well. So far, so good," he said.

The Khorixas rest camp is located in the heart of what used to be known as Damaraland. 

It is an ideal stopover for tourists travelling from the Skeleton Coast Park to the Etosha National Park in this fascinating geological region. 

According to Ndakeva, the philosophy of a customer-centred approach must be ingrained at the Khorixas Rest Camp.

"The service must always come from your heart, and then love what you do. You make the client remember so that you can go the extra mile just to make a memorable experience for the client." he added

Ndakeva anticipates that renovations at the rest camp will be done and completed before the end of this year, and while domestic tourism is picking up, Ndakeva and his staff have realised that it is as if some Namibians regard Namibia Wildlife Resorts facilities as mere government properties that they are already paying tax for. This attitude often leads to a lack of care for properties.

"Our mindset, you know, if the community sees it is the government property, they think that everything maybe is for mahala, but even though NWR is a parastatal company, we are here doing business, and then if you are not taking care of the property, if you are not supporting the local, at the end of the day we are not making anything out of that, and then also NWR also has its own staff that needs to be paid; there are also some logistics that need to be done, buildings need to be revamped, so where will we get that money if we keep saying it is a government property?" 

Facilities at the Khorixas rest camp include family and bush chalets and campsites, providing an ideal option for the budget-conscious traveller.