Walk with the rhinos by day, rock with party animals by night

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter

WHEN one imagines Matobo, they probably envision a picturesque place renowned for granite kopjes and rocks that always seem to hang precariously on each other and yet never fall.

This is the home to all kinds of wildlife, from the endangered rhino to creepy crawlies that emerged from beneath rocks to bask in the Matobo’s seemingly never-ending supply of sunlight.

It is also the rocky abode of Hazelside, Sandy Spruit, and Lake Matopos, the three oases of water in an area whose dryness can only be matched by its beauty.

Once a year, Matobo suddenly finds itself invaded by species that like to explore its tranquil beauty by day only.

By night, these same aliens inject into the Matobo the kind of life that even its nocturnal animals are not used to.

Between 13 and 15 September this year, the Matobo Gin Festival returns to dish out another dose of excitement on the famous hills of Matobo.

However, while revellers might be looking forward to another party, organisers of the fest are at pains to point out that the extravaganza has other pressing objectives. Tourism and animal conservation are the main thrusts of the festival, one of the organisers, Bhekimpilo Ncube said.

This is despite that Mzansi Gin by Obonato Distillery from Cape Town, Matobo African Gin from Zimbabwe, Malawi Gin from Malawi, Shelela Gin from Swaziland, Nyanga Craft from Zimbabwe and Copperfield Gin by Surrey Copper Distillery from the United Kingdom, will all be there to quench the thirst of festival goers.

“Our main focus is promoting tourism, helping champion animal conservation, and then celebrating champion craft beverages. So, the idea for the festival is first tourism then animal conservation.

“Gin is our pull factor but the main thing is to shine a lot on the first two and that’s why we have partnered with Zimparks, who are the ones giving us the venue. This is our partner in animal conservation and we are trying to raise funds and raise awareness on that particular issue,” said Ncube.

The focus on animal conservation is understandable. After all, last year, Dambari Wildlife Trust (DWT), a non-profit organisation involved in rhino conservation programmes in Zimbabwe for the past 10 years, said the number of rhinos killed by poachers in Matobo National Park this year was higher than those poached in the previous eight years.

This sudden increase was linked to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, which resulted in a reduction of rhino poaching incidents in Zimbabwe. The country holds the fourth largest population of rhinos in Africa with 616 black rhinos and 417 white rhinos.

This year, those who take the camping option will be able to take a walk with rhinos in the afternoon, should they choose to do so, and join the party later in the evening. For pure partygoers, Deep in Matobo, a collaboration between the popular House in the CBD sessions and the festival, is set to be a major highlight.

“The idea behind this partnership is that since Matobo Gin is a local brand and House in the CBD is a local movement, it would be best to merge them and create the best of both worlds. We want to bring together the best talent in music and the best talent in craft beverage-making to create an event in unison. We want to come together to create something memorable and something that is birthed in the City of Bulawayo. So, House in CBD is responsible for what is essentially the stage at the event and they will be responsible for curating our sound at the festival.

“However, the line-up that we have is quite different from what people might be used to at strictly House in CBD events. So, it is more of a coming together of that movement and the ideas that we have. It is a fusion of sorts. The whole concept is called a Craft Gin and House Music Experience. So, we are bringing the Craft Gin Experience and they’re bringing that house music experience,” said Ncube.

On the realisation that for the fest to live up to its potential it had to rope in other players in the tourism sector, Ncube said they had struck partnerships with other tourist hubs in and around Matobo.

“As far as other players in the tourism sector’s involvement, in past editions of the Gin Festival, we have always partnered with lodges in the area. We invite them to participate and be part of the ecosystem of the gin fest. So, our idea is to once again involve the local community. We have people who might not be interested in camping with us, who can use the lodges instead.

“We also strike partnerships with lodges in the area and through such agreements, they make their guests aware that a gin festival is taking place and they can thus add it to their itinerary. Remember we are celebrating a local craft beverage so this is one way to show that we have an inclusive tourism package. As part of our efforts, we have also roped in Cresta Hotel who will be making sure that their guests are aware of the spectacle taking place near them in the Matopos,” he said.

Ncube said the festival was now seeking to strike an agreement with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), which will see it riding on the gastronomy tourism movement.

“We are in conversation with the ZTA about how we can boost both local and international tourism, with the Matobo National Park as one of the tourist attractions in Zimbabwe. We want to promote Matobo using the ongoing UNESCO gastronomy theme which has also been adopted by the Ministry of Tourism and the First Lady of the country as well,” he said.