About us
Namibian Heritage. Airborne Expertise.
Two companies. Four decades. One landscape.
Namibia Helicopter Services was founded in 2005 by the Du Preez family — a name that has been synonymous with helicopter operations in Namibia since 1983. What began as a single helicopter and an old Mercedes truck has grown into Namibia’s leading helicopter tourism and charter operation, operating from Otjiwarongo, Sossusvlei and Swakopmund.
The story starts with Du Preez Wild, established by Hannie and Jan du Preez at a time when game capture and wildlife translocation in Southern Africa were still emerging practices. Jan has logged more than 12,000 helicopter hours — the majority of them low and fast across Namibian terrain, capturing elephant, rhino, and plains game for farms and reserves across the continent. That operational background is not incidental to who we are. It shapes everything from how we fly to how we think about safety.
Namibia Helicopter Services grew from that foundation to serve a different client — one arriving not to work the land, but to see it. The scenic and charter side of the business brought a new discipline: precision flying over some of the world’s most photographed landscapes, with passengers who have often travelled far to be in that seat. We take that seriously.
What Sets Us Apart
FAMILY OWNED. NAMIBIAN BUILT.
Operational History Since 1983
Du Preez Wild was established when game capture and wildlife translocation in Southern Africa were still emerging practices. What followed was four decades of operational flying across Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Angola — translocating elephant, rhino, and plains game for reserves that are now landmarks in African conservation. More than 100,000 plains game animals have been safely handled under the Du Preez operation. That accumulated experience, judgement, and safety culture is the direct predecessor to everything Namibia Helicotper Services does today.
Based Here. Not Passing Through.
Sossusvlei and the Namib present specific flying conditions: heat, wind, dust, and light that transforms the landscape between sunrise and midday. Our Swakopmund base adds coastal and canyon flying — different terrain, different thermals, different demands entirely. Our pilots are not on short rotations. They live and work here year-round, and that familiarity with this specific airspace is not something that can be approximated from experience elsewhere.
Tourism and Technical Operations
Our institutional client list includes &Beyond, Kwessi Dunes, Zannier Hotels, WWF, and National Geographic — organisations that apply their own rigorous standards when selecting aviation partners. Game capture, wildlife census, and aerial filming each demand a distinct set of technical skills. That breadth keeps our operation sharp in ways that pure tourism flying does not always require, and the discipline carries directly into every scenic and charter flight we operate.
Operating Since 2005. Flying Since 1983.
Ready to see Namibia from above? Our scenic flights depart from Sossusvlei and Swakopmund. Private charter is available on request.
Our three established locations covering Namibia