KAZA: Heads of state support SADC UniVisa
Opening the doors to free movement
Namibia's conservation success story "is rooted in community-based conservation of wildlife", President Mbumba said, adding that this approach can be an inspiration to other KAZA member states.
Heads of state in southern Africa are warming up to the idea of a Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) UniVisa, after successful trials of this concept between neighbours Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The implementation of the initiative will mean that tourists no longer have to apply for multiple visas, thus saving time and money and opening the doors to free movement of tourists within this budding area.
This came to the fore last week during the KAZA TFCA summit, attended by heads of state in Livingstone, Zambia.
KAZA TFCA is an important regional conservation and development programme that seeks, among other things, to use sustainable tourism to promote rural development in the participating countries - Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
During the summit, President Nangolo Mbumba shared Namibia’s success in the conservation space, which he said can inspire KAZA partners to follow suit. “The progress we have achieved to date through this programme is laudable. Namibia has made significant strides towards protecting fragile ecosystems. Presently, 44% of our country’s total surface area is classified as protected areas, conservancies, tourism concession areas and game farms, in line with our environmental conservation laws,” he said.
He added: “Our success story is rooted in community-based conservation of wildlife which, as a strategy, has helped us to unlock the vast potential of our natural resources as a means of empowering our local communities. We are proud of this achievement”.
Crucial
Dr Nyambe Nyambe, the executive director of the KAZA TFCA secretariat, said the 2024 heads of state summit was crucial for the implementation of recommendations that had been made. The commitment displayed by heads of state and their representatives is expected to prove crucial in getting the ideas, especially regional integration via the UniVisa, implemented at a faster pace.
The event’s host, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema, lauded the initial introduction of the UniVisa on a test basis between his country and Zimbabwe. This allowed visitors to Zambia to cross into Zimbabwe without an additional visa application. The next stage is now to extend that visa to all KAZA member countries.
Hichilema and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa, both praised the UniVisa initiative, likening it to how Namibia and Botswana last year formalised a system where their citizens can enter either country using just their national identification card.
‘Rivers of Life’
Meanwhile, the new KAZA TFCA destination brand, ‘Rivers of Life’, was launched during the summit.
The unveiling of the brand marks a pivotal moment in the region’s journey towards promoting conservation, sustainable tourism and community empowerment.
The KAZA TFCA covers almost 520 000 square kilometres in Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
According to the secretariat, the new brand embodies the region’s rich biodiversity, iconic wildlife, vibrant cultures and the life-giving rivers that connect it all. Nyambe said ‘Rivers of Life’ embodies an “unwavering commitment to preserving the extraordinary natural and cultural heritage of the Kavango-Zambezi eco-region".
It is an invitation to the world to join this transformative journey where the power of unity and collaboration knows no bounds, he added.
- Additional reporting by Ellanie Smit
The implementation of the initiative will mean that tourists no longer have to apply for multiple visas, thus saving time and money and opening the doors to free movement of tourists within this budding area.
This came to the fore last week during the KAZA TFCA summit, attended by heads of state in Livingstone, Zambia.
KAZA TFCA is an important regional conservation and development programme that seeks, among other things, to use sustainable tourism to promote rural development in the participating countries - Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
During the summit, President Nangolo Mbumba shared Namibia’s success in the conservation space, which he said can inspire KAZA partners to follow suit. “The progress we have achieved to date through this programme is laudable. Namibia has made significant strides towards protecting fragile ecosystems. Presently, 44% of our country’s total surface area is classified as protected areas, conservancies, tourism concession areas and game farms, in line with our environmental conservation laws,” he said.
He added: “Our success story is rooted in community-based conservation of wildlife which, as a strategy, has helped us to unlock the vast potential of our natural resources as a means of empowering our local communities. We are proud of this achievement”.
Crucial
Dr Nyambe Nyambe, the executive director of the KAZA TFCA secretariat, said the 2024 heads of state summit was crucial for the implementation of recommendations that had been made. The commitment displayed by heads of state and their representatives is expected to prove crucial in getting the ideas, especially regional integration via the UniVisa, implemented at a faster pace.
The event’s host, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema, lauded the initial introduction of the UniVisa on a test basis between his country and Zimbabwe. This allowed visitors to Zambia to cross into Zimbabwe without an additional visa application. The next stage is now to extend that visa to all KAZA member countries.
Hichilema and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa, both praised the UniVisa initiative, likening it to how Namibia and Botswana last year formalised a system where their citizens can enter either country using just their national identification card.
‘Rivers of Life’
Meanwhile, the new KAZA TFCA destination brand, ‘Rivers of Life’, was launched during the summit.
The unveiling of the brand marks a pivotal moment in the region’s journey towards promoting conservation, sustainable tourism and community empowerment.
The KAZA TFCA covers almost 520 000 square kilometres in Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
According to the secretariat, the new brand embodies the region’s rich biodiversity, iconic wildlife, vibrant cultures and the life-giving rivers that connect it all. Nyambe said ‘Rivers of Life’ embodies an “unwavering commitment to preserving the extraordinary natural and cultural heritage of the Kavango-Zambezi eco-region".
It is an invitation to the world to join this transformative journey where the power of unity and collaboration knows no bounds, he added.
- Additional reporting by Ellanie Smit
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