Co-management presents a new challenge and, given the impressive record of development of the wildlife industry and the positive spirit of co-operation amongst the State, NGOs and private sector towards larger goals, there is no reason why Namibia should not lead the way in southern Africa in developing these new forms of institutions. The nature of this co-management cannot be one in which the State plays a central rôle and the other players are co-opted as unwilling partners: it has to be one where the geographic boundaries are identified and the stakeholders within that zone jointly grapple with the problems on an equal footing and with equal status (Ruitenbeek and Cartier 2001).

The present mosaic of parks, conservancies and commercial farms provide a sound and essential foundation for the scaling up of institutions (Murphree 2000) and, as they stand, partnerships can be entered into amongst neighbours. But there is a difference between partnerships and full co-management institutions.

In a co-management situation the state's rôle is very different from the 'Command-and-control' function it has hitherto displayed. The operating point on the management continuum defined by Ruitenbeek & Cartier (2001) should be close to the laissez faire end of the spectrum.