Page 8 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021
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Celebrating                                                                                                                                                                                    Small seeds planted with dedication were nurtured with love, vision and lots of
    ABOUT GONDWANA



           25 Years

                                                                                                                                                                                                          hard work.


                                                                                                                                                                                                          When we opened our first lodge near the Fish River Canyon in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Collection Namibia. The original conservation area became the 116
                                                                                                                                                                                                          1996, we had no idea that Gondwana would become a leading   Over 25 years, Canyon Lodge evolved into the Gondwana   of our in-house Gondwana Hospitality Training and Leadership
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Academy and the Gondwana Care Trust.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Namibian hospitability group.                          000-hectare Gondwana Canyon Park, one of the largest privately-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 owned reserves in Africa. Today, Gondwana has 46 superb lodges,   Gondwana’s journey is also the story of Namibian tourism, as
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Namibia had suffered decades of recurring droughts, leaving   camps and properties dotted throughout Namibia.   the country attracted international visitors after independence
                                                                                                                                                                                                          barren land with poor animal and plant health and high                                                        in 1990. Gondwana contributed to Namibia’s tourism
                                                                                                                                                                                                          unemployment. Sheep farmers, whose land was destroyed by   Our triple-bottom-line sustainability ethic, strong conservation   development through its unique style and out-of-the-box
                                                                                                                                                                                                          drought, had abandoned the Fish River Canyon. We began with   ethos, and commitment to employee development are core to   thinking. As the world steps out of Covid-19’s long shadow, we
                                                                                                                                                                                                          a few like-minded people and a vision to rehabilitate a swathe   our founding vision. We are especially proud of the track record   will continue to play a role in Namibian tourism.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          of land. The first lodge, Canyon Lodge, was shaped with little
                                                                                                                                                                                                          funds but great determination.                                                                Step into the wild
           with Gondwana                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     It is our conviction that tourism



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               is only sustainable if it is

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  inclusive.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Namibia is one of the first African countries to incorporate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    environmental protection into its constitution. Almost 40% of its
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    land is under environmental protection, including conservancy land.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Conservancies are clearly defined tracts of land registered with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    the government, where local communities manage their natural
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    resources through a democratically elected committee and approved
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    management plans.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    While conservancy land contains some of Namibia’s most unique
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    attractions, only a small percentage of bed nights from mainstream
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   tourism stem from these areas. Gondwana has strived to rectify
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   this imbalance by involving communities and conservancies in its
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  developments. Gondwana is a significant employer, with a third of its
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   workforce coming from these areas.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Seven of Gondwana’s lodges have joint-venture partnerships with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        conservancies, and one further lodge is on communal land with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          an agreement with the local community. The company is the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            biggest private sector investor in the Community-Based
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Natural Resource Management programme. Besides
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               these employment opportunities, the communities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 receive a percentage from bed night revenue, and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   also benefit from infrastructure established by
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    lodges, including kindergartens and schools,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      and fresh-water installations. The company
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       offers guide-training courses, environmental
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         awareness, and cancer outreach
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          programmes. Lodge employees are
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           actively involved in community projects.

       4     VALUE CREATION REPORT 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA      5
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