This paper contributes to the literature on forest resource use in the north-central regions of Namibia (NCR) and the findings are also relevant for northern Namibia and communal lands throughout southern Africa. Our findings concur with those from South Asia on the impact of collection time on fuelwood use and add to the small amount of literature on the substitution of animal dung for fuel. We report results from a household survey of forest resources use in the NCR, which finds that utilisation is within sustainable limits for forest growth. Households consume an estimated one tonne of firewood annually and one tonne of poles. Markets are weak and very little is sold. Forest resources contribute significantly to rural livelihoods for some of the continent's poorest people. The population of the NCR rely on forest resources for their energy supplies and shelter as well as providing shelter and grazing for livestock. These resources provide almost one quarter of household income and form the basis of an active but apparently weak and inefficient informal economy. Opportunities to upgrade livelihoods (i.e. increase efficiency, productivity, income, etc) through use of forest resources currently seem limited without external intervention. However, with the NCR's economic development gathering pace, the potential for increased trade in NTFPs and other forest-based products will grow. The question we are unable to answer here is what impact this will have on current rates of forest product utilisation. Keywords: rural economy, forest utilisation, woody resources.