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About us

Ernst Sauber is a native Namibian, while his wife Johanna originates from the Frankfurt area in Germany. They met each other by stroke of luck in April 1989 at the Maltahöhe Hotel, where Johanna stayed overnight during a holiday trip and Ernst attended the birthday party of a local farmer. Just before Namibia gained its Independence in March 1990, the couple got married. In the same year, their first son was born and two years later their second son joined the family.

Ernst has always been a passionate farmer, but after several years of drought in the area, which is near the Namib Desert, he had to sell his last cattle and karakul sheep. Even the income from the small petrol station and the shop was not enough to feed the family. Since tourism picked up after Independence, Ernst was temporarily working as a tour guide to make ends meet. In April 1993, Ernst and Johanna opened the guest farm BüllsPort, with five rooms.

Over the years, Ernst developed 14 hiking trails, including the now well-known trail through the Quiver Tree Gorge and a path to the lesser-known rock arch of the Naukluft mountains. Horse lover Johanna started a stud in 1997 and offered riding lessons and rides in the Naukluft surroundings.

In 2010, Johanna lost her left eye in a riding accident, while in 2012 the couple suffered the loss of their eldest son due to a traffic accident. Despite these tragic turn of events, BüllsPort continued to develop and Ernst managed to re-establish cattle breeding and created access to pastures on the “Alm”, high up in the mountains, as a back-up for drought years. Johanna and Ernst also invested in the guest business. Following extensive renovations in 2016 and 2017, BüllsPort now offers 12 spacious, air-conditioned rooms with lodge comfort.

However, the farm atmosphere and the personal style of the guest business have hardly changed since the guest farm was founded in 1993. Nowadays, guests enjoy their dinner at separate tables as in a lodge. But they can still meet their hosts over coffee and cake or during the sundowner and get an insight into everyday farm life and life in Namibia in a personal conversation.

BüllsPort also provides important economic support in the rural area where it is located. The 17 employees are mainly from the nearby surroundings. During the course of their day-to-day in-house training, they have grown into a strong team. Since 1996, BüllsPort is welcoming young interns from Germany who help out on the farm and provide useful suggestions and new ideas.

Not to forget the four-legged family members who greet arrivals with wagging tails. And who especially like to “look after” small guests by letting them throw the ball or (most of all) letting them pet them…