Eco-Tourism in Zimbabwe - A Certain Style

If you care about eco-issues, Zimbabwe’s Pamushana Lodge sounds alarmingly opulent. In each of its six villas, sliding glass walls open onto a private swimming pool with panoramic hilltop views. Every villa has an outdoor shower and its own telescope. Interiors feature fireplaces, vast bathrooms and sumptuous African artwork. Yet the Malilangwe Reserve (of which Pamushana is part) has regenerated a 400km2 area of Zimbabwe’s lowveld, while contributing substantially to the development of surrounding communities. So you can recline in the sauna free of guilt.

Since its foundation by local conservationists in 1994 over 1300 animals (including Black and White rhino, eland and sable) have been relocated into Malilangwe, at a cost of US$4.2m, to counter game depletion caused by competition with cattle and agriculture. Zimbabwe’s largest private nature sanctuary now contains the country’s widest variety of wildlife, including over 400 bird species. The Big Five are regularly spotted among the hills, woodlands and savannahs, interspersed with gems including Wild dog and oribi. Game-monitoring and anti-poaching systems are, naturally, comprehensive.

Funds were initially raised from a conservation organisation, but now the reserve earns income from Pamushana and its slightly humbler sister lodge, Nduna. For all its glamour, Pamushana was built from indigenous materials, with traditional thatching and stonework reminiscent of Great Zimbabwe.

Malilangwe’s Neighbour Outreach Programme is also impressive. Spending on community projects totals over Z$31m. Pages long, the list of concrete achievements includes the construction of clinics and classrooms, the provision of bursaries to over 280 primary, secondary and tertiary students, and the donation of textbooks worth Z$450,000 to schools. The trust has also provided cash and assistance worth more than Z$500,000 to neighbouring Gonarezhou NP, while promoting sustainable land use and nurturing local businesses.