Vic Falls safe from cholera

Nothabo Nyathi, Business Reporter

TOURISTS intending to visit Victoria Falls should not fear contracting cholera because operators have put in place the necessary hygienic measures following the outbreak of cholera in neighbouring Zambia last month, an official said.

The country’s prime resort town and neighbouring Livingstone across the Zambezi River in Zambia, share a lot especially in tourism with some clients visiting both towns in a single day.

There have been fears that the waterborne disease which broke out in Lusaka last month, could affect tourist arrivals as well as general business in the two towns.

Association of Safari and Tourism Operators Employers spokesperson Mrs Mercy Ncube assured tourists of their safety saying despite Victoria Falls and Livingstone’s proximity, the disease had not affected business locally since hygiene was priority number one.

“Hygienic measures are practiced as a way of preventing the pandemic. Washing of hands after using restrooms is encouraged at a time like this when our neighbour Zambia is battling with cholera,” she said.

Mrs Ncube said tour operators also acquire foodstuffs from Zambia among other countries and would continue doing so despite the cholera outbreak as they buy from the formal market which was safe.

“As tour operators, we also buy some food items in Zambia but what makes us safe is that we buy from formal businesses that maintain high hygienic standards. We don’t buy from open markets as we realise the risk that we can put our tourists in,” she said.

Mrs Ncube said systems had been put in place to ensure the pandemic is not transmitted across the border.

“If you noticed, the movement of vegetables, fruits and other fresh products across the Victoria Falls border has been temporarily stopped as a way of minimising the risk of importing the disease to Zimbabwe.

“The good thing is that there is no cholera outbreak in Livingstone hence Victoria Falls is safe but we will continue putting precautionary measures considering the free movement of people between the two countries,” she said.

Zambian vendors who cross the border daily to sell their goods on the informal market were stopped by authorities last week although some have been spotted within the Victoria Falls Central Business District raising fears of laxity at the border post.

They sell vegetables, green mealies, tomatoes, onions, mealie-meal among other items which Zimbabweans prefer because they are cheaper than on the local market.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Child Care officials from Hwange district have held two meetings in Hwange and Victoria Falls to raise awareness on cholera and intensify preparedness as well as activating the Civil Protection Unit in preparation for any eventualities.

Source: Vic Falls safe from cholera (16/01/18)

Zim tourism industry has grown since Mugabe's exit

INTERNATIONAL - Zimbabwe's tourism industry has started to pick up, with arrivals seen growing this year following the exit of former leader Robert Mugabe in November last year, while online booking platform, Airbnb, says visitors booking for accommodation through the application are mostly originating from Johannesburg and London.

The country has dangled a $15 million (R185.22m) incentive facility for the tourism industry, central bank governor John Mangudya said last Friday.

The Hotels Association of Zimbabwe said hotel occupancy levels during the December festive season increased from 85percent in 2016 to about 92percent in 2017.

Traveller risk perceptions of Zimbabwe have worsened over the past few years, owing to poor road infrastructure, police roadblocks and political uncertainty that frequently turned violent.

But following the installation of a new administration in Harare, travel experts and government officials said the situation was now improving.

Zimbabwe’s new administration has extended open arms to travellers to the country in a bid to grow the tourism industry’s contribution to the country’s economic recovery.

“There has been keen interest in Zimbabwe, particularly after the events that took place in November 2017. We have seen growing demand for destinations, mainly in Hwange and, of course, Victoria Falls,” Mlandeli Ndlela, a safari operator with Sikiliza DMC, told Business Report.

Other operators and tour experts say Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands have witnessed resurgent tourist arrivals in December and so far in January. Travel across Zimbabwe has become easier, with police roadblocks being whittled down and spot fines being stopped.

Zimbabwe Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira said on Friday that “normalcy has returned” to roadblocks.

“We need to have a re-look at our pricing strategies and competitiveness. Why should foreign travellers come to Zimbabwe to view the Victoria Falls from our side, just because we have the best view, and then go to Zambia where accommodation is cheaper - we need to do something as an industry,” Mupfumira said.

Reduce costs

Mangudya said the central bank had put in place a “strategy to reduce costs” through the incentive scheme, which is aimed at “enhancing the competitiveness” of the tourism industry. This comes amid concerns that hotel bookings in resort areas have ballooned to more than $200.

The expensive pricing by the bigger hotels has boosted township tourism in Zimbabwe, with online booking platforms that integrate private residential properties for booking by tourists stepping up their offerings. Domestic tourism has also been on the rise.

One such platform, Airbnb, said: “Guests coming to Zimbabwe (through the application) are coming from Harare, London and Johannesburg the most.”

Tourism operators argue that the costing is a result of foreign currency shortages in the Zimbabwean economy. Mupfumira sees tourist arrivals topping 2.5 million by the end of this year, up from 1.7 million in 2012.

Apart from this, Zimbabwe’s tourism industry has looked an attractive bet and has started to attract bigger and new operators. Great Plains Conservancy has expanded into Zimbabwe, opening three camps in the country’s resort areas such as Mana Pools and the Zambezi National Park.

“Prospects are positive, although we need to invest heavily in marketing destinations, building infrastructure such as roads/rail and adopting a fully open skies policy,” said Ndlela.

Source: Zim tourism industry has grown since Mugabe's exit (16/01/18)

Zimbabwe to review its visa regime

Zimbabwe is planning to revise its visa policy to help attract more tourists, trade and investment into the country.

Immigration Department principal Clemence Masango said government is working on measures to abolish visas to that visitors will be able to jet in from any country without any permit complications. 

Zimbabwe has one of the most restrictive visa regimes in Africa after it was ranked number 21 by the Africa Development Bank on the Visa Openness Index out of the 54 countries in the continent.

Source: Zimbabwe revises its visa regime (16/01/18)

Vic Falls curio vendors make money through picking of bones

ENTERPRISING Victoria Falls vendors have found a way of making money by picking bones to make unique traditional curios that are loved by tourists.

Big Five co-operative members operate at the backyard of KoNqgondongqondo in Chinotimba suburb. The 31 members of the cooperative specialise in different curio artefacts from bones, wood and iron.

When Southern Eye visited the site on Thursday evening, it was serious business with everyone working on their artefacts ranging from animals to human statues, bowels, salt shakers, knives and soap boxes, among others.

The artists said they pick the bones from restaurants and butcheries to make beautiful artefacts.

One of the members, Jabulani Dube, said they started collecting bones to use at home, but later decided to do that on a commercial basis in order to sustain their families.

“We started collecting more to make bangles, necklaces, salt and spice shakers, and handles of hunting knives,” Dube said.

“Many hunters especially tourists prefer such kind of artefacts as they are more durable. With the same bones, we make walking sticks mainly used by traditional chiefs for special ceremonies. We join those bones through gluing before shaping them and vanishing to any artefact.”

Another member, Justice Ncube who had just finished making a one metre long kudu stuffing said, to them, art was a hobby that they never went to school for.

He said they take pride in the art which depicted their way of culture mainly Tonga, Ndebele and Nambya which are dominant in the resort town.

Another attractive statue was of a topless and barefooted Nguni woman going to the fields carrying a traditional tray (ukhomane) on her head, dressed in animal skin skirt.

Once the artefacts are completed, they are taken to Sinathankawu curio market where hundreds of tourists flock every day to have an appreciation of the local talent.

A New Zealander, who just bought impalas, lion, cheetah and buffalo wooden magnets to stick on fridges said the art was beyond their imagination.

Lordula Mlilo who is based in Germany said: “We appreciate the work they put but they need to look into their pricing model.

They must be open to negotiations so that we buy more.”

Nguquko Tshili, a successful curio seller, survives on selling his products in Cape Town, South Africa, where many domestic and international tourists have an appetite on his art. The proud entrepreneurs said they were content with what they were doing and had no intentions of looking for something else.

Source: Vic Falls curio vendors make money through picking of bones (13/01/18)

Locals pin employment hopes on Vic Falls mall

The construction of Zimre Property Investment (ZPI)’s $13 million shopping mall has brought hope to thousands of Victoria Falls jobseekers, who early yesterday morning thronged the construction site seeking employment.

When Southern Eye visited the site, strategically located at the corner of Livingstone Way and Pioneer Road, the then Ambula Tours company, many desperate jobseekers said ZPI was their only hope for employment.

According to statistics, 1 268 local residents, mostly youths, had applied for work at the site.

Jobseekers started trickling in as early as 5am, but by 11am, numbers had swelled.

Residents said they had been disappointed by their residents’ association and council officials, who do not empower or represent residents adequately.

One of the residents, Dalubuhle Moyo, who volunteered to negotiate with ZPI management, said they had reached a consensus, where first preference for jobs would be given to locals.

“We discussed with them this morning and our final verdict was to take down all the names of people present together with their CVs. We want them to employ local people be it from Binga, Bulawayo, Gweru. As long as you have been here for years, you’re a local,” Moyo said.

ZPI supervisor, Tafirei Dzimba said they were going to engage relevant stakeholders who would superintend the recruitment process.

The mall will be a lifestyle centre catering for retail, commercial and entertainment activities, with lots of parking space. It will have a floor space of around 5 750 square metres. It will also ease travelling costs for residents who frequent Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa for basic commodities.

Source: Locals pin employment hopes on Vic Falls mall (16/01/18)

ZPI to construct $13m mall in Vic Falls

Tinashe Makichi and Chipo SabetaZimre Property Investments (ZPI) will construct a $13 million shopping mall in Victoria Falls as the company expands its property portfolio. ZPI managing director Edison Muvingi told The Herald Business yesterday that the company is finalising leases with various tenants. He said the contractor is already on site to start the construction of the mall but the official construction is scheduled for January 15, 2018.

“We are finalising leases with various tenants including TM/Pick n Pay and other international food courts and brands. The contractor is already on site to show our commitment that we want this project. We handed over the contractor on site earlier to do the preliminary works and the demolition works that had to be done on the structures we adopted on site.

“There is no shopping mall in Victoria Falls and this is an opportunity for the company as the first movers. This mall will bring a lot of activity in Victoria Falls,” said Mr Muvingi. He said the designs for the mall have been approved and the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project is in place.

“It is going to be a trading centre where parking will be guaranteed and looking at the current situation people are going to Livingstone to shop at Shoprite among other joints and then back to Victoria Falls. So with the big TM Pick n Pay coming, there will be a difference. We hope to have banks and other service providers,” said Mr Muvingi.

The company is anticipating to do the ground breaking ceremony of the project on February 2, 2018. The move has been necessitated by the recent upgrade of the Victoria Falls Airport as an International Airport.

“Since the upgrade of the Airport, there has been an increase of international travellers which is the reason why we are targeting international brands,” he added.

The proposed project will be strategically located at the corner of Livingstone and Pioneer Road, Victoria Falls. The concept is intended to be more than just a shopping centre but a lifestyle centre in Victoria Falls. The shopping mall will have a floor space of around 5 750m2 with a mix of retail, commercial and entertainment activities.

The wide open embracing concept in front of the car park welcomes the public and absorbs them into various commercial units and the design does not only respond to the site boundary limitations but aims at revitalising the culture, bringing trade without distorting the resort town status. ZPI’s parent company, ZHL has aggressively pursued the objective of achieving a market leadership position in its chosen markets.

This desire resulted in the incorporation of Zimre Property Investments (ZPI) on January 27 2003, following the successful disposal of National Real Estate (Private) Limited (NRE). The objective of its incorporation was to harness and co-ordinate group property development activities, and to manage, maintain, develop and grow the group’s property portfolio. ZPI has since expanded the scope of its business to non-group business, both in the private and public sectors.

Source: ZPI to construct $13m mall in Vic Falls (11/01/18)

Tourism players resist pressure to end elephants rides

MOST tourism players in Victoria Falls have not heeded an international ban on elephant training, exhibition and rides, arguing that the prohibition order would drive them out of business.

By Nokuthaba Dlamini

The ban came into effect on December 31 last year.

Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operations Association president and Shearwater Adventures spokesperson, Clement Mukwasi said operators had slowly transitioned, but it was now business as usual.

He said companies were not abruptly ending the elephant activities, but instead they were introducing programmes that would eventually see the retirement of these animals.

“We hear their call, but there are lots of things to consider before complying.

“We need to strike a balance between terminating someone’s job and elephant activities because, if you look at the Zimbabwean Constitution, we are not committing any offence, so this may be applying in their countries or it is just a moral call,” he said.

“Also, regarding tourists, there are some who enjoy walking with elephants, riding and feeding them and that boosts our industry, so we cannot just wake up and comply. Tourists enjoy such activities, so we need to strike a balance.

“We are actually working on scientific evaluation programmes of retiring elephants, as it includes monitoring them, as others may need rehabilitation and adaptation to bush life so that they don’t become a danger to the community or fail to survive on their own.”

According to operators’ reports, such activities have stopped in Botswana and South Africa and pressure is now on Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zambian tour operators, who offer elephant rides, advertised that they would stop on December 31.

Adventure Zone, Elephant Express and Shearwater are some of the companies that offer elephant rides in Victoria Falls while Lion Encounter does lion walks.

Source: Tourism players ignore elephants ride ban (11/01/18)

More: Tide turns against tourism elephant rides (05/12/17)

Pressure on Zim to stop activities involving wild animals (16/06/17)

Zambian operator to phase out elephant-back safaris (17/01/17)

Download: Breaking Africa's Elephants - Exposing the rise of cruel tourist rides World Animal Protection Canada [pdf download, external source]

More from this blog: elephant-back safaris : captive-animal interactions