Zim missing out on Mapungubwe TFCA
June 2006 saw Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa establishing the Limpopo-Shashe Trans-frontier Conservation Area that was expected to boost tourism development between the three countries.
TOURISM has become one of the major economic drivers in most countries the world over and the initiative was to promote economic development for the three countries. The TFCA, then known as Shalimpoo, was later renamed to Greater Mapungubwe TFCA in September 2009 in line with changing dynamics in tourism industry.
The GMTFCA lies in the southern part of Zimbabwe at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers which also separates the country from South Africa and Botswana respectively.
The trans-frontier park was established as part of regional efforts to increase the traffic of tourism to that part of Southern Africa by consolidating marketing, infrastructure development and investment promotion in the conservation area.
It is in that spirit that the three countries agreed to hold the annual tourism events to market the TFCA as one of the best tourist resorts in the Sadc region.
Popular events held in this park include the Tour de Tuli cycling expedition and the Wild Run.
The mega park has three components of parks from each of the three countries.
South Africa’s area covers 53 percent of the GMTFCA with; Mapungubwe National Park (under the South Africa National Parks Services), Venetia Limpopo Natural Reserve, Mapesu Game Reserve, Mogalakwena Game Reserve and the Vhembe Game Reserve.
On the other hand Botswana offers 28 percent of the GMTFCA covering mainly the Northern Tuli Game reserve.
Zimbabwe covers 19 percent with Sentinel Ranch, Nottingham Estate, Tuli Circle, Maramani and Machuchuta Communal Lands and Hwali Wildlife Management Areas.
The TFCA has become a tale of a big city divided by two rivers.
While in the last 10 years South Africa and Botswana have been busy developing their tourist facilities in their components of the park, Zimbabwe has been found wanting in packaging its products.
Among the three countries, South Africa has taken a leading role attracting the largest number tourists.
Further, South Africa and Botswana have opened a tourism border, Pont Drift, while plans to establish one between South Africa and Zimbabwe near the Shashe area has remained a mirage.
Observers blame bureaucratic processes on both governments as affecting the plans.
Mr Johannes Mokwena, a tour guide in the park, said the TFCA has a potential to generate profits.
“We have a number of products, including camping facilities, game drives, game viewing, and the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site and also host the world ancient city.
“The place is always fully booked with tourists.
“Besides hosting events like Tour de Tuli or the Wild Run, we have a number of programmes on offer,” he said.
Mokwena said they had set up a museum at the park fully packaged with historical artifacts and research and findings by historians about the Mapungubwe kingdom.
This has been turned into the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site.
The Tour de Tuli, a tri-nation cycle event covering 300 kilometres, has since inception six years ago attracted the world’s top company executives and journalists from across the globe.
Participants camp for a week to have fun in the wilderness.
Introduced last year is the Wild Run, which is a bit similar to the Tour de Tuli except that it’s more like a marathon, has already shown huge potential as it has been fully subscribed this year.
South Africa has already established a view point at the confluence of Shashe and Limpopo where the memorandum to establish the GMTCA was signed.
Botswana has also set up a tourism camp on its side of the confluence while Zimbabwe is yet to put any meaningful structure on its side of the park.
According to Mokwena, the viewpoint is one of the most popular spots with foreign or regional tourists.
The South Africans have also set up a tree top walk, an elevated walkway above the trees, near the viewpoint.
The walk helps tourists catch a breathtaking view of the Limpopo River as it flows towards its confluence with the Shashe River.
Border authorities at Pont Drift revealed that the place was busy with tourists and adventurers going to either components of the mega park between Thursdays and Sundays.
However, in Zimbabwe, the area becomes alive only during annual events.
It appears zeal is lacking from Zimbabwean authorities to gain from the GMTFCA.
Further, the area is rich in dinosaurs’ fossils along the Sentinel Area.
Descendants of the Maramani clan used to inhabit the Mapungubwe landscape, which if well documented, could promote tourist arrivals.
Zimbabwean authorities have done very little to promote both domestic and foreign arrivals on its component.
However, South Africa’s Department of Environment’s marketing manager Roland Vorwerk said engagements between Zimbabwe and South Africa were being held at a high level towards the establishment of a tourism border between the two countries.
“We would love to see all the three countries getting maximum benefits from tourism activities here and hence we have been working with authorities from the three countries to make sure that we come up with new products and events to promote annual arrivals,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management authority spokesperson Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo said the country benefited through legal framework for cooperation and collaboration, integrated development plan (IDP), joint elephant research project, Maramani community tourism development camp, conservation, environmental management education and career development opportunities.
“Cross-border tourism products are one area in which Zimbabwe has benefitted from the development of GMTFCA.
“Apart from presenting the vast marketing opportunities, Tour de Tuli-Mapungubwe Cycling event also offers potentially huge opportunities for business enterprises by providing goods and services to meet the needs of the cyclists and support staff along the three country route.
“The Wild Run is another cross-border tourism product in which athletes are booked at Maramani community and launch their run into parts of the three countries, offering a wild athletic expedition,” she said.
Ms Washaya-Moyo said the collective cross-border tourism product development effort had identified Maramani Village 16 and recognised it as a crossing site of choice to facilitate direct movement between Zimbabwe and South Africa in the context of the GMTFCA development programme.
“Discussions have started among the key stakeholders and indications on the ground are that the site should be gazetted as a Dry Season 4x4 Crossing.
“The long-term vision is to develop an environmental impact assessment (EIA) guided permanent tourism access facility to decongest Beitbridge,” she said.
She said Zimbabwe had a number of products on offer including safari hunting in the Tuli Safari Area, private-held properties, CAMPFIRE facilities and A2 Resettlement Areas.
There are also photographic safari and recreational fishing activities in parts of the GMTFCA, especially Nottingham Estate.
MS Washaya-Moyo said Zimbabwe had cultural heritage products on offer in its parts of the TFCA and there was considerable potential to develop such and package them into attractive offerings.
“The Tuli Safari Area is home to the Pioneer Cemetery and Prison Site which offer a huge potential to diversify the tourism product.
“Such a mix or offering could also include socio-cultural tourism in which tourists could be taken around on a selected trail sampling traditional residential accommodation facilities and treated to local traditional African cuisine,” she said.
GMTFCA international coordinator Mrs Patience Gandiwa said there was scope for further development of more cross-border tourism products for SADC TFCAs to realise and sustain the potential economic benefits especially for the previously disadvantaged stakeholders.
“Most of such products are already conceptualised in the planning framework,” she said.
It, however, remains to be seen when Zimbabwean authorities will decide to roll up sleeves and translate plans into action for the purposes of job creation, economic development, as well as claiming their share of the GMTFCA.