18 May 2022

Following  the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 that crippled the tourism industry, Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (OKMCT) has ventured into property development as a way to diversify channels of income.

OKMCT, which  operates in the settlements of Ditshiping, Boro, Daunara, Morutsha, Xharaxau and Xhaxhaba in the Okavango Delta is aimed at promoting sustainable utilisation of natural resources in the area by offering tourism products and services.

Speaking at a press conference in Maun on Tuesday, the OKMCT manager Mr Seikaneng Moepedi stated that they had successfully completed a commercial property which houses their offices in Boronyane, Maun.

He said over the years, the trust rental expenditure was very steep as they parted with at least P20 000 every month, which left a dent in their finances. Mr Moepedi said  OKMCT was in the process of constructing a mall in Maun to diversify their income to ensure that they did not solely depend on their leased concession land.

He highlighted that they had submitted a business proposal to financial funding institutions for the prospective mall in Maun which would be constructed on a piece of land that had already been secured.

He said COVID1-19 was a lesson for many, especially in the tourism industry to diversify their channels of income so that when one industry suffered, the other would be able to sustain the trust.

The manager said the trust offered tourism products and services in a controlled area known as the NG32 within the Okavango Delta of which part of it was leased to Machaba Safaris who operated two safari camps.

Mr Moepedi stated that their concession area accommodated Batswana businesses who offered game drives, mokoro rides, and camping. For his part, OKMCT board chairperson Mr Therisano Maratapelo stated that with the tourism industry finding its feet after COVID-19, they projected that the trust would be profitable as a new camp called Kiri by Machaba safaris was completed.

He further said Machaba Safaris had recently employed 42 people from the six villages of NG32 to work at Kiri camp. He said the objective of the trusts was to empower people within the localities where the trusts operated, noting that their partnership with Machaba Safaris had produced results as many graduates were able to find employment in their safari camps.

He said with tourism back in business, OKMCT would be profitable once again as they accumulated at least P7 million in profits annually from tourism activities in the NG32 concession.

Machaba Safaris Head of HR Mr Tuelo Montshonyana indicated that in 2015 when they signed a partnership with OKMCT, the agreement was that their company would create employment for people within the NG32 area which he said they had honoured as 90 per cent of their staff were locals in NG32.

He highlighted that there was a lot of potential from the people of these settlements as many of them graduated with different skill sets. He said during the pandemic they did not retrench any workers rather they suspended major projects so that they concentrated on paying staff.

Mr Montshonyana stated that their relationship with OKMCT was fruitful in that both parties were satisfied with the terms of the agreement to create employment,  generate income and ultimately serve the community through Community Social Responsibility projects. Ends