New book chapter about Indigenous agency in Namibian ecotourism

In Namibia's growing ecotourism industry, the Haiǀǀom and!Xung San peoples face an important contradiction: they are marketed as 'authentic' stewards of nature—primordial guardians untouched by modernity—yet must embrace the very capitalist systems their tourism represents to survive economically. This tension reveals more profound problems with how Western consumers approach Indigenous cultures. Tourists seeking such 'authentic'…Read more New book chapter about Indigenous agency in Namibian ecotourism

Check out two recent articles on The Conversation

I published two articles in the well-known and academically grounded news page The Conversation over the last months. The first is about doing research among Indigenous groups and the second is about the unsustainability of the wildlife economy, which is gaining popularity in southern Africa. The latter is based on a special issue I co-edited…Read more Check out two recent articles on The Conversation

The unsustainability of the southern African wildlife economy

Stasja Koot, Lerato Thakholi, Bram Büscher Southern Africa’s wildlife economy is often hailed as a major success and model to be emulated. Using biodiversity and wildlife as the basis for economic growth is seen to both increase wildlife numbers and economic revenue, leading to sustainable economic development. But does it actually do that? A recent…Read more The unsustainability of the southern African wildlife economy