Rebuilding Serra Cafema: What it takes to bring a camp back to life

‘There is no easy way in,’ explains Alex Henderson, MD of Wilderness Namibia. ‘Serra Cafema is accessible only by light aircraft for guests, and for our construction team, a serious 4x4 traverse through some of the most remote terrain in Southern Africa, which means every pole, every deck plank, every roll of thatch, every piece of furniture has to be planned, packed, and moved with precision long before it ever reaches site. Construction materials like gum poles, decking, and fibre thatch have had to be sourced and shipped in from South Africa, then transported via a challenging stretch into the valley itself. Add in solar equipment, air conditioning units, and a wellness centre’s worth of fittings – treatment room furnishings, gym equipment, a sauna, a cold plunge – and the scale of the logistics becomes clear. Everything arrives in phases, gets stored, and is released to site only when the build is ready to receive it.’

It’s not an exaggeration to call it a mammoth task. Vehicle movements, delivery windows, and construction sequencing all have to line up almost perfectly and in a location this remote, there's very little room to improvise when something doesn’t.

This isn’t the first time Serra Cafema has been built from the ground up. The camp was initially built in 2003 and underwent a complete redesign and rebuild to run on 100% solar power in 2018-19. It was shaped in close partnership with the Himba community and local craftspeople – a collaboration that gave the original camp its distinct character.

Then in March of this year, a fire destroyed its reception, communal area, and some guest suites. 

This time, it’s a rebuild as much as a reinvention, pushing sustainability further than before.

Practically, that reinvention shows up in the details: fresh interiors, air conditioning in the rooms, fans, heating, fireplaces in communal areas, and fully retractable glazing to close up against cold winter mornings, and open wide to catch cool breezes.

Community involvement remains central to the project, with the Wilderness team meeting directly with the local community to determine how the camp’s experiences evolve, alongside the physical rebuild itself. 

This is also one of the last places a guest can get a true experience with the Himba. ‘Serra Cafema's connection to the Himba is the heart of why this camp exists where it does,’ says Alex 

It sits inside the 300,000-hectare Marienfluss Conservancy, which is owned by the Himba community here. The Himba are Namibia's last semi-nomadic people, a community descended from the Herero who migrated south from the Great Lakes region in the sixteenth century. Today, roughly 50,000 Himba live across northern Namibia and Angola, largely continuing the same way of life their ancestors have followed for generations – tending livestock and roving the land.

Since 2003, Wilderness and the Marienfluss Conservancy have partnered directly on Serra Cafema, a relationship that has grown to include building and supporting the Marienfluss School and a conservancy clinic, delivering fresh water to nearby villages, the installation of a solar borehole to offer a collection option, and the opportunity for Himba to sell arts and crafts to guests. 

Despite the scale of the challenge, the rebuild remains on track for a December opening, including the new Kunene Retreat, a wellness centre tucked into the end of the camp with views across the dunes, the river, and the mountains of Angola beyond.

Fire may have taken some of the camp, but it didn't take everything. The river kept flowing. The staff – most of whom are from the local community – who were employed at the time of the fire were redeployed to our other Namibian lodges, but will be back. ‘And during a recent visit to the valley, we encountered more wildlife than we’d seen there in years,’ says Alex. 

‘It's a reminder that this landscape, and the people who call it home, are as much a part of Serra Cafema’s identity as the camp structures themselves.

Serra Cafema reopens to guests on 1 December 2026. We look forward to welcoming you back!