This paper explores the livelihood strategies of rural households in the Caprivi Region to understand how wildlife and community‑based natural resource management (CBNRM) initiatives align with existing economic activities. It examines the diverse ways households secure food, income, and other livelihood needs through crop production, livestock, wage employment, remittances, natural resource harvesting, and wildlife‑related enterprises. The study analyses how different households combine these activities, the factors influencing their choices, and the positive and negative impacts of CBNRM on rural livelihoods. From the perspectives of householders, the paper offers recommendations for implementing conservancies and natural resource management programmes in ways that maximise benefits and minimise adverse effects.