Guy Nockels and Magic Touch Films' Elnette Pearson on Surviving Namibia

While most people dream of a life of luxury and comfort, there are some who solely exist to head off into the unknown, challenging themselves to what others believe to be superhuman feats of endurance, whether in the name of adventure, survival, science, education or pure fame.

A lot of thought and study has gone into their feats and what drives these modern-day superheroes, and to simply put it, the sheer balls of it all, a point not always widely publicised is the work that goes on behind the scenes to make these expeditions possible, like for instance, in one of the most challenging environments known to man, the Namib Desert in Namibia.

To start with, apart from being the oldest desert in the world, what is so inviting about the Namib is that, apart from being situated in a politically stable country roughly the size of France, Great Britain and Germany combined, it offers a massive uninhabited and protected area that stretches from the Kunene river in the north to the Orange river in the south.

Along with this, the largest dunes in the world can be found stretching inland from the cold Atlantic Ocean before opening up to vast gravel plains further inland.

It does offer the perfect conditions to get ‘lost’ in. 

But, while explorers and adventurers relish the thought of ascending huge mountain ranges and crossing the inhospitable desert, proving of course what our bodies are truly capable of when pushed to their limits, there is a group of unsung heroes in the background.

For every successful undertaking you read about or see broadcast, many more hours are spent ensuring that the right equipment is available, visas are applied for and collected, accommodation and transport are available, permits to access and film in restricted areas or certain parks are in order, medical assistance in case of emergencies and, in the case of a crew following a survivalist such as television survivalist personality Ed Stafford around, a comfortable base camp to ‘stand by’ at.

Says Elnette Pearson, Chief Operating Officer of Magic Touch Films, a company well-versed in facilitating large film production units in Namibia: “When it comes to expeditions in Namibia, you must look at the various different kinds undertaken. Each one has a specific set of logistical requirements, and this can many times lead to challenges you’d never dream of.”

Elnette refers here to the difference in requirements of an expedition for instance like that of Mike Horn, who recently led a team of writers through the harshest parts of the country, travelling in four-wheeled drive vehicles, compared to that of British female adventurer Ness Knight, who completed a solo cycle of the Namib Desert, or for that matter, survivalists like Ed Stafford who along with a support crew tends to stay more in one area.

Magic Touch Films were the facilitators for all of these expeditions.

“The most important part of our work as facilitator is to ensure that the adventurer or athlete can focus on their specific challenge,“ says Ms Pearson, “because in such a challenging environment, the slightest hold-back or issue could derail something that the person has sometimes worked years towards achieving.”

Guy Nockels, Chief Executive Officer of Imwe Namibia Holdings, under which Magic Touch Films fall, agrees with Elnette and added: “Magic Touch has become one of the highest rated facilitation companies in the world and thanks to years of experience and local knowledge in working with international film crews and adventure expeditions, can facilitate expeditions and crews of any size, whether they’re local or international.”

For the Magic Touch Films team, it’s a challenging yet deeply rewarding experience to work on these adventures. 

According to the company, even though many elements of facilitation are the same, like various permit requirements, whether filming with a personal camera or a movie camera, whether planning for a basecamp or sourcing equipment for an expedition, each facilitation brings with it its own set of challenges.

“A lot of the time it’s quite necessary to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but one thing we’re super proud of is that Magic Touch always manages to keep expeditions, adventures and challenges running smoothly,” Mr Nockels mentioned.

As the top production company to reality survival programmes shot in Namibia, facilitating and leading support for expeditions and facilitator for international adventures, next time you see an exhausted adventurer reach their final destination, especially in Namibia, think about those behind the scenes, after all, it was probably a team from Magic Touch Films who made it all possible.