The impacts of macro pollution in the marine environment are well publicised. Entanglement in waste material is a conservation concern, welfare issue and call to action. In Pinnipeds, entangling material commonly originates from fishing-related sources, but a significant quantity of other materials could also cause entanglements. Here we explored entanglement occurrence within colonies of Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) at two locations along the Namibian coastline, Pelican Point (PP) in Walvis Bay and Cape Cross (CC) between April 2018 and December 2019. We aimed to establish the most common type of entanglement material as well as the demographic profile of animals affected. As this is the first stage in a long-term monitoring program we critically compared methods involving in situ binocular scans and ground-based photographic surveys of seal groups. Data from local marine tour operators and conservationists involved in disentanglement were also reviewed. Overall 217 cases of entanglement were observed with 17% more entanglements identified through photographic surveys than in situ scans. Entanglement rates were 0.14 % and 0.04 % for PP and CC respectively. Fishing-related materials accounted for 52% of the observed cases of entanglement, with juveniles most commonly affected, and 5% of recorded seals exhibited ‘severe’ injuries caused by entangling materials. Seventy three individuals were successfully disentangled, highlighting the important role that disentanglement efforts by tour guides can play in supporting animal welfare. In summary, we identified photographic surveys as the optimal method for assessing entanglement, the common entanglement materials and demographic of affected animals. Keywords: Plastic, pollution, Cape fur seal, entanglement, Namibia.