Agriculture and wildlife conservation are often seen as conflicting sectors, particularly when wild animals damage crops or kill livestock, while tourism operations and associated conservation areas take up land that could be or were previously used for agriculture. In Namibia, the government has to perform a delicate balancing act between food security supported by farming on the one hand and securing the rich flora and fauna that attracts safari and hunting tourists on the other. The Zambezi Region in north-eastern Namibia is a prime example of the need for balance between the agriculture and conservation sectors. As part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), the region supports diverse wildlife, making it a popular tourist destination. Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) is a crucial element of economic development in the region that allows local communities to establish . The primary purpose of conservancies is to manage and conserve wildlife and use income generated from wildlife-based industries to support their members or undertake development projects. The region's economy and the livelihoods of its residents are thus significantly shaped by the impact of conservation initiatives. On the surface, it would appear that wildlife should take precedence over agriculture, since tourism is one of the biggest sectors of the regional economy, whilst agriculture is characterised by low production subsistence farming, mostly involving family gardens and small-scale rain fed agriculture. But the story is more complicated than that since these developments raise questions on inclusivity, marginalisation and wellbeing of rural residents.