On Thursday the 15th August in collaboration with industry partners, African Bush Camps held their first Zimbabwe Roadshow in Cape Town. The day was filled with knowledge sharing aimed to showcase the essence of Zimbabwe and debunk the concerns the tourism industry faces when considering Zimbabwe as a prominent African destination.
We are all too familiar with the Zimbabwe show… moments of euphoria darkened by both literal and figurative power changes and outages. We know all the negatives we read them daily as headline news. Together we call to our industry partners to join the movement and shout out the wonderful work and stories being produced by the everyday unsung heroes of Zimbabwe. The movement is not isolated to just travel, it is about getting everyone involved in taking a proactive stance to break the sequence and put Zimbabwe on the map for all the right reasons. We acknowledge the hardships the country is facing but also appreciate that on-going trade and the fact that the tourism industry is still operating viably allows companies to look after their staff and their families, which goes a long way to assisting with the normalization of the country.
Here are a few things learned at the Zimbabwe Roadshow:
- Zimbabwe is home to 83,000 elephants – second most important elephant range state in Africa – Zimbabwe National Elephant Plan
- Zimbabwe reduced CO2 emissions from 1.54 metric tons per capita in 1994 to 0.88 in 2014 – World Bank
- 2% of the country comprises protected areas compared to the world average of 14.7% – World Bank
- Zimbabwe’s rhino population is growing! 2018 saw a 10% increase in population. Zimbabwe is now home to the fourth-largest population in the world – WWF
- 2018 saw arrivals to Victoria Falls from 98 different countries, – Africa Albida Tourism
- The conversation has started to include buffer zones around national parks. The idea to protect and conserve these areas as well as the community that lives within them, creating a safe, harmonious environment and alleviating human-wildlife conflict. – Hideaways
- Batoka Gorge is about 120 kilometers long (the straight-line distance to its end is about 80 kilometers east of the falls). The gorge is 200m wide and the “flying fox” allows adrenaline seekers to soar 120m above the mighty Zambezi River. – Stanley & Livingston Boutique Hotel
- Nyanga National Park in Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe is home to the second tallest waterfall in Africa and the sixth tallest in the world. The Mutarazi Falls at 762m. – African Sun
- Motobo Hills has 2000 sites of registered bushman paintings. A unique insight into the lives of the area’s original inhabitants. – The Amalinda Safari Collection
- Mana Pools is home to huge herds of Africa’s largest antelope the Eland. – Wilderness Safaris
- “Moonbows”, are rainbows that take place at night, when a rainbow is seen in the light of the moon. Victoria Falls is one of a very limited number of sites around the world, which are known for the occurrence of “moonbows”. Wild Horizons
- Lions are known to hunt crocodiles right off the water’s edge of Lake Kariba – The Hide and Changa Safari Camp
- Magnificent red stone cliffs called The Chilojo Cliffs, are found in the heart of the Gonarezhou National Park on the banks of the Runde River. – Chilo Gorge
- The Victoria Falls bridge was prefabricated in England by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company. The bridge was shipped to the Mozambique port of Beira and then transported on the newly constructed railway to the Victoria Falls. It took 14 months to construct and was completed in 1905. – Victoria Falls Hotel
Something I already knew but was reaffirmed on Thursday by my peers, colleagues, wait staff and uber driver:
- The Zimbabwean people are resilient! Beyond that, they are proud, caring, passionate and will continue to ride the rollercoaster until they prove to the world the value that they and their country hold.
We at African Bush Camps ask you to keep shouting out until Zimbabwe reaches its full potential. #OneZimbabwe we will succeed.
If you would like to attend our Johannesburg based show on Thursday 22nd August please contact gemma@africanbushcamps.com
