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Community and Conservation
Africa is a continent rich in beauty and human potential. As an organisation that benefits from Botswana and Zimbabwe’s hospitality and natural splendour, we give back to local communities as a way of showing our deep gratitude and thanks.
We are privileged to be able to share the pristine beauty and warmth of Africa with visitors from all over the world. As such, we channel a percentage of the monies we earn from our safaris to conservation and community projects in the areas we operate in.
Our Approach
The pillars of our engagement
We develop our conservation and community engagements around three core pillars.
Education and empowerment
We are committed to uplifting local communities utilising education and empowerment. Across Botswana and Zimbabwe we are involved in various education programmes and schools, like Gonneye Sethlare Pre-School Mabale Primary, among others. We also provide work experience for local adult youth, offering vocational support and ensuring that a fixed percentage of our permanent staff are women under the age of 25.
Protect and conserve
We work together with local stakeholders and communities to safeguard the fragile ecosystems of southern Africa. Our commitment goes beyond conservation education and human-wildlife coexistence initiatives. We actively support anti-poaching patrols in the NG32 zone and lead targeted sustainability efforts that include water restoration, waste management initiatives and community clean-up campaigns.
Community and infrastructure
We identify the community and infrastructure needs within Botswana and Zimbabwe and create opportunities to fulfil them. This ranges from providing water to vulnerable communities to establishing sustainable vegetable gardens to the erection of animal-proof fencing. We are also engaged in raising awareness of health issues to continuously improve the overall health and well-being of these communities we operate in.
See some of our Projects
Gonnye Sethlare pre-schools
We completed construction of our first Gonnye Sethlare pre-school in Ditshipi in the Okavango Delta in May 2019. The school is the only educational centre in the village and it caters for 36 children. We have plans to build further Gonnye Sethlare pre-schools across the regions we operate in.
Botswana Youth Development
We provide invaluable work experience to promising young local men and women. It is our policy to employ 2 university business graduate students to equip them with the necessary experience to become lodge managers. We also fill 2 intern positions each year and ensure that 10% of our permanent staff members are women under the age of 25.
Destitute Housing
Shelter is essential, particularly when living in the hot conditions of Botswana. Machaba Safaris has completed the construction of two houses for destitute families in the Chobe and Maun regions. It is our intention to continue building houses for destitute families in the areas we operate in.
Zimbabwe Education
We give ongoing support to the Main Camp Primary school, which lies in a remote village bordering Hwange National Park. We help the school by providing teacher support to educators who are not on the government payroll in addition to providing facilities, textbooks and more. We also secured a solar-powered computer lab and have plans to grow an income-generating empowerment garden.
Muchenje Community Development Project
Through a partnership with Mr. Dan Jeremiah in Mabele Village, this initiative supports sustainable farming and food security. The farm supplies Ngoma Safari Lodge with fresh produce weekly while providing employment for seven local community members.
Collaborative Efforts For Wildlife And Water
In response to prolonged drought in Hwange National Park, we have collaborated with Zim Parks to restore water access in the affected areas. At Verney’s Camp,we have repurposed old boreholes and constructed a new borehole to restore water to the area once again. The long term goal is to improve the waterhole network and our conservation infrastructure at Machaba.
Recycling With Ele Collection
In partnership with Ele Collection, we are proud to contribute to an innovative recycling initiative that transforms plastic waste into Plasrok, a sustainable building material that turns harmful waste into practical solutions. This initiative not only helps to reduce pollution and protect wildlife but also promotes a cleaner, safer environment for both animals and communities.
Ingwe Camera Trap Survey
This project at Ingwe Pan in Mana Pools uses discreet camera motion traps to monitor elusive species like aardvarks, track wildlife movement and document rare animals. The data supports habitat conservation and regional research efforts, while offering guests a deeper connection to the wild and species that inhabit it.
Discover more about our Conservation & Community Commitments
Our commitment to protecting wild spaces and uplifting local communities is integral to our operations. From wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching efforts to youth education, waste reduction and sustainable development, constantly strive towards creating lasting change in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Community Tours with Machaba Safaris
Embark on a journey of discovery during a community tour at a local village and learn more about the rich history and culture of our continent. Learn more about our community tours that run from Verney's Camp and Ngoma Lodge.
How you can help
It is easier than you may think
What many of us take for granted is often a luxury for the communities in which we work. All support is appreciated: you can volunteer your time, you can sponsor a teacher salary or a student’s fees or you can make a cash donation while visiting one of the sites while on safari.
Just by going on safari you are contributing to these remarkable causes
Giving back to the environment and people in our destinations has always been a core focus for us
See our engagement
Take a look at some of the conservation and community efforts that we lend our continued support to.
Looking forward
Our commitment to conservation and community efforts is not short-lived. As long as Machaba Safaris is operational we will continue to roll up our sleeves and provide meaningful support to the communities and areas we operate in.
As we expand our safari footprint into new areas we are excited to build new relationships with communities and lend our help to protecting what is precious to us all.
