Ecotourism Company Spreads its Wings over Africa. (11 October, 1996)

The Conservation Corporation Africa, which has expanded into East Africa and Zimbabwe, is developing into 'the first pan-African, multinational ecotourism company', said Howard Geach, the Corporation's Sales and Marketing Director, at the Association of Southern African Travel Agents congress yesterday. He said its latest developments in the Makakali Reserve, in Mpumalanga, and a 60 000 ha reserve in the Kalahari, brought the land managed by the Corporation in Africa to 300 000 ha.

Geach said the Corporation was started in 1992 against the background of rising international demand for wilderness and ecotourism. Its first venture was the 170 000 ha Phinda reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, which attracted R63 million of international investment funds for its consolidation. In 1992 the corporation started the Rand Investment Fund to draw local communities into the ecotourism industry. It expanded in 1994, buying Kichwa Tembo tented camp in Kenya and Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania.

Last year it joined forces with Zimbabwe-owned Chitim Investments to develop, operate and market the 50 000 ha Matetii area, fronting the Zambezi River. The reserve, with two lodges, opened in August this year. By Audrey D'Angelo. Courtesy of The Star.