Online Reporter
Martin Kadzere
Zimbabwe’s safari industry projects its hunting earnings will jump by 25 percent this year to US$50 million, up from US$40 million in the previous year. This growth is largely due to a continued influx of tourists from key markets, particularly the US, who prioritise conservation practices, according to an industry body.
Safari Operation Association of Zimbabwe president, Dr Emmanuel Fundira, said these conservation-conscious visitors were a key factor in the industry’s sustained growth.
“I think what is more important, especially from our source market, is how much of that [revenue] we are putting into conservation,” he said in an interview.
The safari industry, a sub-sector of the tourism and travel industry, has historically focused on overland journeys for observing or hunting wild animals, but has evolved to place a strong emphasis on wildlife conservation and ecotourism. The industry consists of both consumptive and non-consumptive sectors, with a common objective of effectively utilising wildlife resources. While direct hunting is more significant, the non-consumptive side contributes a lot to the total.
When revenue from “downstream” services is factored in, the industry’s total earnings are projected to reach US$100 million this year. Dr Fundira explained that these related services — which include permits, accommodation, and charter services — are expected to generate an additional US$50 million in foreign currency.
Dr Fundira noted that foreign visitors were “very, very sensitive” to how revenue is used to support anti-poaching initiatives and wildlife management that benefit communities living alongside wildlife.
In a commitment to conservation and community welfare, Dr Fundira said the industry was allocating 3 percent of its revenue towards these efforts. The money will fund anti-poaching initiatives and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects that focus on community-based income.
Dr Fundira said the industry was also leveraging technological advancements and policy reforms to enhance conservation efforts and benefit local communities. He said the industry was placing a strong emphasis on aligning with global best practices in wildlife management.
The industry has adopted a Global Positioning System-based tracking system called EarthRanger technology to monitor the movements of its wildlife, particularly the Big Five, with a focus on elephants. The real-time monitoring is crucial as elephants are one of the country’s biggest attractions.
Zimbabwe is a key member of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, a five-country bloc that holds 70 percent of Africa’s total elephant population. As the second-largest contributor of elephants to this bloc after Botswana, Zimbabwe seeks to maintain its significant role in elephant conservation.
On the policy front, Dr Fundira said Zimbabwe was in the process of reviewing its Parks Act Bill. The most significant feature of the review is the proposed creation of a Human-Wildlife Relief Pact. The new initiative is designed to be an insurance-like fund to provide substantial financial support to families affected by human-wildlife conflict. This marks a shift from providing “cosmetic support” for funeral expenses to a more sustainable form of compensation for injuries, crop destruction, or the loss of a family member.
Fundira believes that while money cannot replace a life, the fund will offer vital coverage and a cushion to vulnerable families.
“They get injured by wildlife. They get their crops destroyed by wildlife. And rather than just giving them the cosmetics of supporting the funerals, we thought it fitting to create a Wildlife Relief Pact, which is a form of insurance, which can give a very sizeable sustainability to a family when they have been deprived of either a breadwinner or a family member,” said Dr Fundira.
“And as much as money may not necessarily replace an individual, we are saying that the fund will help in terms of bringing in some form of cover and a cushion to vulnerable families.”
Human-wildlife conflict is a major challenge in Zimbabwe, driven by habitat loss, population growth, and climate change.
These conflicts lead to significant losses for local communities, including destroyed crops, killed livestock, and human fatalities. With current compensation efforts often insufficient, some locals are pushed towards poaching, highlighting the urgent need for better compensation and community-based conservation programmes to ensure coexistence.
Looking ahead, Dr Fundira expressed optimism for 2025. He is currently in Livingstone, Zambia, for the annual African Wildlife Consortium Forum to share and exchange ideas on enhancing conservation efforts and maintaining the successful adaptive management systems that have led to the growth of the country’s wildlife populations.
