Agri-tourism the way to go

Munyaradzi Hwengwere

There is a place in Insiza district, Matabeleland South province, that is now known as Palawani, but its historical name is Paruware.

It has a dam that was built just after independence through a partnership between the Government and Shabanie Mashaba Mines.

Today, it supplies water to Zvishavane and mining companies Mimosa and Murowa Diamonds.

During Shabanie Mine’s heyday, the company established a boat club.

They also ensured the dam was always stocked with fish.

The Palawani Boating Club was an exclusive high-end place that provided refuge to expatriates who came to Zimbabwe and those who worked at Shabanie Mine.

Sadly, as the mine’s fortunes went south, so, too, did this marvel.

It was left derelict and underutilised.

Locals took advantage of the situation and looted infrastructure and left the club a shell of its former self.

Thank goodness, the beauty of the place could not be erased.

After some years, a new player emerged, with the support of the ministries of tourism and agriculture, to revive the place, which has now been rechristened Palawani Lakeworld Resort.

It has been featured on ZBC as a unique model that combines tourism and agriculture, which is generally known as agri-tourism.

While domestic tourism has emerged as the backbone of the hospitality industry, disposable incomes are still low due to the effects of Covid-19 and a host of other economic factors.

As a result, the best that domestic tourists can do is to ensure that they spend money on day visits to places of interest, as well as during month-ends, special occasions and holidays.

It is rare for an average Zimbabwean to spend a night at a lodge, hotel or resort with family unless they really have to.

Consequently, most resorts outside the main tourist attractions such as Victoria Falls, Nyanga and Harare struggle to make money during the week and periods outside holidays.

City hotels are an exception because their clientele is driven by conferences and business engagements.

What makes the Palawani’s ecosystem unique, despite being situated in the middle of Shurugwi and Zvishavane, which are not leading tourist destinations, is a recognition that the water resource opens up a number of different opportunities.

The Cape Town wine estates are anchored on wine, but they now attract thousands of visitors annually for wine fairs and other recreational activities.

Their primary business is built on wine, but they have realised the value of marketing their unique countryside to build a thriving tourism business.

Today, you find lodges and hotels in the same wine estates.

In real terms, Kariba is an agri-tourism zone, even though it has not been classified as such.

Missing in that equation is an official recognition of this type of tourism.

The result is that Zimbabwe loses the chance to collaborate on joint marketing and support mechanisms for this.

This needs to be a thing of the past.

We must now realise that business opportunities do not occur in silos.

What used to be telecommunication companies are now leading integrated financial institutions.

Econet reportedly makes a significant amount of money from EcoCash and related services.

Without collaboration of various parties and Government ministries, we may not reach our true potential.

When the Ministry of Agriculture officials visited Palawani in September, they saw first-hand how a recreation facility with zip lines and boat rides could sit comfortably with a thriving commercial fishing enterprise.

They noticed, too, that the same people who come to retreat with families can be relied upon to provide a market for fish.

They further realised how a water body that has been idle for years could also be a place to expand into other agricultural areas.

Unfortunately, as they visited on the day, they did not have their counterparts from the Ministry of Tourism.

Adverts that are run by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority are still strictly for tourism. True, the new marketing thrust has enabled greater national awareness of what Zimbabwe has to offer.

However, a much broader understanding of business would help build Zimbabwe as a unique place of attraction, where our agricultural endowments align with national beauty to create greater value.

Munyaradzi Hwengwere is chairperson of Buy Zimbabwe, a market access organisation created to promote preference of locally produced goods and services.