Page 9 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021

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